LeBron James said he was pushed to greatness by Kobe Bryant

The Cavaliers were knocked out in the second round in the 2010 postseason.

That’s exactly what Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay plans to do when the Los Angeles Lakers invade the Palace of Auburn Hills this Sunday in what will likely be Kobe Bryant’s final game against the Detroit Pistons.

With five National Basketball Association championship titles, two Olympic gold medals, one most valuable player award and participation in 17 All-Star teams, Bryant’s career is being called “one of the most decorated” of all time by The New York Times. Even though he is only a shadow of the player he once was, his retirement announcement reminds us of his longevity and lasting endurance through the evolution of the game that occurred during his storied career.

“I think it’ll be very emotional and very fun”, James said about playing Bryant twice this season.

LeBron James expressed sadness at Kobe Bryant’s retirement decision on Tuesday, voicing regret that he never got to face off against his boyhood idol in an NBA Finals series. “We have given each other all that we have”.

As Bryant was taking his first steps in what would become a stellar career, James was in Akron, Ohio, doing everything he could to mimic a player with unrivaled offensive skills. Lower Merion High School, Coach (Gregg) Downer.

At a dedication ceremony for the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium five years ago, Bryant told the crowd at the high school: “This is where I came from. It’s about two decades of basketball from one of the greatest players of all time.

“I try to have at least 15 minutes of still time and just kind of sit in my thoughts in the morning and just kind of meditate”.

James rattled off some of Bryant’s signature games and moves: his 81-point game in 2006, a game-winning shot against Phoenix, a tip dunk against in, a behind-the-back, 360-degree dunk against Denver.

Asked by reporters in Los Angeles on Sunday what he considered the best part of his story, Bryant said, “The [championships] that we’ve lost and the struggles to get there. I saw it coming, and I couldn’t be prouder”.

“It was someone that I always knew I had to be in the gym”, James said.

“I’ve known for a while”, Bryant said to a packed room of media after the game.

Regardless of how hard someone works, there is always one opponent that – no matter how great he is – he can never quite beat: time.

The poem, posted hours before Bryant took the court against the Indiana Pacers, read, “This season is all I have left to give”. I knew that he was getting better and I was like, ‘Man, if you take a day off, he’s going to take advantage of it. You can not take a day off. You can not take a day off’.