LeBron James Hopes Jordan Bond Will Mirror His Friendship With Kobe Bryant

The intense debate over the greatest basketball player of all time often creates distance between the legends themselves. Relationships often only form once players stop competing against each other.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, LeBron James shared where things stand between him and the players he looked up to as a kid. Throughout the conversation, he spoke about why he and Michael Jordan do not have a close personal relationship right now. 

“We don’t talk,” James said during the interview. “Because I’m still playing. I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.”

James added, “I would hope so,” when asked if he believed a rapport could blossom between him and Jordan after he retires.

Similarly to the way James became closer to Kobe Bryant after Bryant finished his playing career.

While Jordan and James never played together professionally, their careers have shared several notable connections. It was in 2001 that a 16-year-old LeBron met his idol and played in Jordan’s closed-door Wizards rehab scrimmages.

James pointed to the memorable embrace he shared with Jordan at halftime of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game in Cleveland. He noted that he chose to wear the No. 23 jersey because of the immense inspiration Jordan gave him during his childhood growing up in Akron, Ohio.

The way James sees it, retirement changes the psychology of how great players interact, which is how his bond with Bryant changed once they stopped competing against each other.

How the Kobe Bryant Relationship Became a Blueprint for LeBron James

James explained that the two of them were also never close while they were both active in the NBA.

They spent plenty of time together as teammates during their shared Olympic experiences with Team USA in 2008 and 2012, but an intense competitive mindset always defined their interactions. 

“The funny thing is, me and Kobe the late, great Kobe, obviously me and Kobe never had a real relationship either,” James said. “We were on the [USA] Olympic team, and we had a great relationship there. The Olympic team in ’08, the Olympic team in ’12, but it was always competitive between us.”

Everything changed when Bryant retired from basketball in 2016. Then, in 2018, Bryant welcomed James into the Lakers organization and took on a mentor role.

He started attending games, offered personal advice, and lent his full support to James. 

“That’s when our relationship became really, really good,” James continued about the post-retirement period. “He welcomed me. He called me, like, ‘Bro, anything you need in L.A., I got you. You’re a Laker now. You’re family.”

James appreciated the praise Bryant shared on social media after he passed him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. James later described Bryant as a true brother and expressed regret that they did not get to spend more post-retirement years together. 

Similarly, James holds onto hope that once his career concludes, the competitive comparisons with Jordan will fade away just like they did with Bryant, allowing a friendship to finally grow.

Do you think he and Michael Jordan will become close friends once LeBron finally retires?