LeBron James reflects on Kobe Bryant's career and being disapppointed the two never met in THE NBA FINALS

LeBron James declined to speak to the media Monday, a day after Kobe Bryant announced this would be his final season with a poem on The Players' Tribune. Perhaps James simply needed more time to gather his thoughts about the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. James opened up about Bryant on Tuesday, speaking from the heart

and off the cuff for more than 10 minutes after a Cleveland Cavaliers shootaround.James: It was kind of sad, actually. You know, just, obviously it was going to happen to everybody at some point, but to know that this is Kobe’s last year. It’s just sad, man, and the guy’s just had a hell of a career.
I mean, what he’s done for me and my career, is all the way from when I was a kid, to having his posters on my wall when I was growing up, to my junior year in high school when we played in a tournament in New Jersey, and I think the All-Star game was in Philly, I got an opportunity to go and meet him, and he gave me a pair of his shoes to wear in a game against Oak Hill, actually against Carmelo [Anthony], my junior and senior season, to me being a rookie. I think one of our first home games was against the Lakers and just playing against him, was like a dream come true for me because being a kid that came straight out of high school too, it was like, Kobe, T-Mac [Tracy McGrady], KG [Kevin Garnett] -- it was those guys you kind of looked up to. Kobe being at the ABCD Camp talking to us and I was a 15-year-old kid that didn’t know much, listening to Kobe at the time and him doing great things.
I mean, in high school I wore a nappy-ass Afro because of Kobe Bryant. Because he wore it. I wanted to be just like him, man. And I always said my inspiration came from [Michael] Jordan, but I always thought Jordan was so out of this world that I could never get there. Kobe was someone that I just always kind of wanted to be like and play like.
And then, just being a competitor. He took me to that next level, and understanding how important competition is and just have a willingness to never die. And you may lose a game, but you’re always going to win every battle, man, and win the war, things of that nature. You get that all from Kobe, just competing against him every year.
I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain in 2009 for the fans, for us, to meet in the Finals. I know the world wanted to see it. I wanted it; we wanted it; he held up his end and I didn’t hold up my end, and I hate that. I hate that that didn’t happen