After years of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James being endlessly compared against one another, two of the game’s greats shared an undeniably commonality as of last year when James signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
His signing rankled some of Bryant’s most-ardent supporters, which didn’t sit well with the five-time champion and Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss. Though, Buss did state Bryant’s legacy and importance to the franchise will never be matched or rivaled.
While James had begun to won over that segment of the fanbase, the Lakers’ recent struggles have halted that progress. For the Lakers as a whole, their players have been the subject of taunts from fans of opposing teams.
One week after Brandon Ingram heard taunts he was viewed as a trade chip by James, the 16-year veteran endured chants from Atlanta Hawks fans that Bryant is the superior player, via SportsCenter:
"KOBE'S BETTER!"
Hawks fans let LeBron hear it at the free throw line ???? pic.twitter.com/I6rD5tsfAT
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 13, 2019
While the Hawks came away with a win, James finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists for his fifth triple-double of the season. It also marked the 78th triple-double of James’ career, which tied with Wilt Chamberlain for fifth-most in NBA history.
Reminder: Vivid Seats is the Official Ticket Reseller of LakersNation.com. New Customers use “LAKERSNATION” (all CAPS) in the Vivid Seats App on your phone and get 10% off any Lakers home game ticket order for the remainder of the season.