Not only was the passing of Kobe Bryant, as well as his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash, so shocking because of the tragedy, but also because of the timing. Less than 24 hours after LeBron James passed Bryant for No. 3 on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list, Kobe was on everybody’s mind. But for James, the two were closer than that near the end of Bryant’s life. Some of his Lakers teammates also got to witness that connection.
Late on Saturday night, hours before the tragic helicopter ride, James and Bryant shared a phone conversation that some of LeBron’s Lakers teammates listened in on the call between two NBA legends, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
One final conversation: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant had phone call late Saturday night after James passed Bryant on the NBA scoring charts, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Several Lakers players listened into call — in what would be their final memory of Bryant's voice.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2020
LeBron spoke after passing Kobe about how much Kobe meant to him in his career, seeing a player go from high school to the NBA and also the personal connection the two shared after Bryant gifted a young LeBron a pair of his shoes. But one can only imagine the range of emotions that he is feeling now.
As part of the grieving process, the NBA announced that Tuesday’s scheduled game between the Lakers and Clippers has been postponed. The game has yet to be rescheduled.
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