While they never met in the playoffs or NBA Finals, like other storied rivalries, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were — and often still are — pitted as each other’s top adversary.
Aside from entertaining regular-season games and spurts in All-Star Games, Bryant and James never took the court against one another with much on the line. They appeared to be on a collision course in 2009, but the Orlando Magic upset the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Finals.
Nonetheless, Bryant and James remain forever intertwined. And now that James has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, comparisons aren’t likely to end anytime soon.