It was the summer of 2012. LeBron James had just won his first NBA championship, finally climbing that mountain he’d been trying to scale since being drafted No. 1 in 2003.
The Miami Heat had found their footing after a rockier-than-expected first season, which culminated in a Finals loss to Dallas, and had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh back to flank LeBron.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant – just two seasons removed from his 4th and 5th championships – had just picked up some serious ammunition, as chronicled with the (now infamous) Sports Illustrated cover, "Now This is Going to be Fun," with Steve Nash and Dwight Howard joining him in purple and gold.