“Anthony looked like someone pulled his soul from him. Nobody had their color & all of us kinda broke down" - LeBron James recalls the grim mood after Kobe Bryant's demise
One of the segments in "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers" featured LeBron James' take on Kobe Bryant's death. James recalled the team's reaction after finding out about the tragedy, which was one of the darkest Lakers moments in recent memory.
Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in 2020 when their helicopter crashed in California. The Lakers legend's death rocked the sporting world, with tributes pouring in from all over.
Here's what James had to say about the time he and his teammates heard the news.
“Anthony (Davis) looked like someone pulled his soul from him," James said. "Nobody had their color and all of us kinda broke down in tears. It was one of the longest flights I ever been on.”
LeBron James on @kobebryant passing:
“Anthony looked like someone pulled his soul from him. Nobody had their color & All of us kinda broke down in tears. It was one of the longest flights I ever been on,” Says @KingJames.
#LakeShow #LakersDoc #LakersNation #NBATwitter https://t.co/NprJKaBGh8
It wasn't just the LA Lakers who were affected by Kobe Bryant's death. The entire basketball world was in shock. Kobe was a global phenomenon adored by millions. The league honored him by committing 24-second and 8-second violations in the opening quarter.
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant's relationship
LeBron James has built many friendships in the NBA over his 20-year career. Some of the most notable ones are with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, dubbed the "Banana Boat Squad." However, one unlikely friend James made over the course of his career was Kobe Bryant.
The build-up to LeBron and Kobe's friendship was all mentioned in "The Redeem Team" Netflix documentary. Before teaming up with LeBron James in Team USA, Kobe Bryant was a loner. Bryant had trouble making friends in the league due to his demeanor on and off the court. His struggles were magnified after Shaquille O'Neal left the LA Lakers.
Kobe Bryant was invited to join Team USA in 2007. At that point, Bryant was still going through some hardships from all the criticism he had received that year. He didn't join the national team to make friends. Kobe joined to compete and prove that he was a winner. However, his mindset started to change after spending significant time with his teammates.
Bryant was known to practice alone. LeBron James did something to break the ice and started engaging with the Black Mamba. Initially, everyone assumed that the two of them wouldn't get along, but LeBron James proved to be a perfect foil for Kobe Bryant.
LeBron always made it a point to joke around with Kobe and attempted to get a smile out of him every chance he could.
Thanks to LeBron James' efforts to warm up to Bryant, Kobe eventually started opening up to the rest of the team. LeBron and Kobe's friendship is truly one of a kind.