LeBron James Doesn't Think It's Fair That Fans Compare Him To Kobe Bryant

BY Erika Marie 16.3K Views
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LeBron James, Kobe Bryant
They each have their strengths but stand on their own merit.

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a rough season, but the team is committed to regrouping and coming back stronger than ever. LeBron James knew that when he made his way to the Golden State from Cleveland, not only would he need to go through some adjustments, but fans would pit him against a Lakers icon: Kobe Bryant. However, in an interview with Jim Hill for CBS Los Angeles, James expressed that he didn't believe that the comparisons were legitimate assessments.

“I think that’s unfair. That’s going to be the only thing that’s unfair in this conversation we have today because I think at the end of the day, we are all different," James said. "Michael’s fans, Michael Jordan himself. Kobe fans, Kobe himself. LeBron fans, and LeBron himself. We’re all different on the simple fact that we all take different challenges, we’ve all had challenges, we’ve all had different courses, but the one thing that’s the same is that we would do anything to play this game of basketball every single day.”

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"We would do anything to win and we would do anything to put our life on the line to win basketball games," James said of the similarities between himself, Bryant, and Jordan. "We’re just champions. We was born champions and we work hard and we want to be the greatest that we can be, but I think we’ve all had our own paths. Mike had his path, Mike was the greatest. Kobe had his path, Kobe was the greatest. I had my own path, hopefully, someday someone will say I’m the greatest."

“At the end of the day, I hope we all make our fans and make each other’s fans proud as well, no matter whether you love us, hate us, or whatever the case may be.”


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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