The first time I ever witnessed LeBron and Kobe square off in person was Christmas Day, 2009, at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. Sure, I’d seen them go King mano y Mamba several times before on national TV, but that was the first live experience I’d ever had in the presence of these two giants of the game. They didn’t disappoint.
In a matchup of the two early favorites to reach the Finals that season, LeBron scored 26 points with nine assists, and Kobe racked up a near triple double with 35 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.