Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton had the honor to have played with Kobe Bryant in his prime, and now will get to coach LeBron James who hasn’t yet shown any signs of slowing down despite being 15 seasons into his career.
That James has joined the Lakers franchise Bryant is synonymous with is both fitting and a bit ironic. After all, the two have endlessly been compared as players, with no end in sight for the raging debate.
What can’t be argued is that both Bryant and James are among the greatest to ever step foot on the hardwood. And with that comes many similarities between the two, which Walton highlighted, via the Lakers’ Twitter account:
“The thing that they all have in common is their work ethic. Some players have the skill, some players work hard and don’t have the natural talent. I think when you’re talking about Kobe, LeBron, guys of that nature, they have the natural ability, they have the brains, and they have the work ethic to go on top of it.”
Although fans and media have fueled the rivalry between Bryant and James, they’ve consistently remained complimentary of one another. Bryant recently called for an end to the argument over which is the superior player.
James spoke with Bryant prior to signing with the Lakers, and after that decision was made, the five-time champion raved about the addition.
While they both may not want as much, James joining the Lakers invariably added another layer to the purported rivalry. What he manages to accomplish or fails to do, will be endlessly compared to Bryant’s 20-year career with the storied franchise.
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