LeBron James made a commitment in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s surprise death on January 26, 2020, that he will continue the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s legacy.
Fast forward nine months later and the Lakers were able to win the NBA championship after beating the Miami Heat in the Finals, with James being named as Finals MVP.
“Hope I’ve made you proud my brother!! Love and miss you Champ!!” LeBron wrote as the caption for an Instagram post, which included three photos in which he is accompanied by a Bryant No.24 jersey, another where it is a quote of him saying he’ll continue the Lakers legend’s legacy, and finally one of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“I promise you I’ll continue your legacy, man,” was the quote James pictured, which he said on January 27, one day after Bryant’s death.
Following Bryant’s death, the Lakers wore a patch on their jerseys which featured his initials, while they also found other ways to honour him, such as introducing the Black Mamba jerseys, a homage to Bryant‘s famous nickname.
The Lakers wore the Black Mamba jerseys in Game 2 and Game 7 of every series in the playoffs, as well as in Game 5 of the NBA Finals as they looked to close out the series against the Heat, although they faltered and ended up having to lift the trophy in their white jerseys in Game 6.
“I mean, every time you put on purple and gold, you think about his legacy,” James told reporters when discussing Bryant in September. “You think about him and about what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years, and what he stood for both on the floor and off the floor. What he demanded out of his team-mates and what he demanded out of himself. We have some similarities in that sense.”
During his playing days, Bryant, who died at the age of 41, became an NBA champion on five occasions, was named Finals MVP twice and became the NBA’s regular season MVP once. He also appeared in the All-Star game 18 times, which puts him second all time, although James is in third on 16 and could usurp him in the coming years, once again paying homage to the late, great Kobe Bryant.