'I'm glad he won it' - LeBron James expressed admiration for Kobe Bryant on his sole MVP win
LeBron James
was in complete awe of
Kobe Bryant
and always advocated giving accolades to the Los Angeles Lakers star. When Kobe Bryant won the MVP award in 2008, LeBron expressed deep admiration for the legendary player.
Though he ended up fourth in the MVP voting, LeBron did not mind losing at all, as the recognition went to his loved player.
He said that Kobe deserved the win and that he was glad that Kobe bagged the recognition.
Kobe celebrated his win with his teammates and called his win 'team's win,' He said, "We won MVP", showing how much he valued team's support.
LeBron James celebrated Kobe Bryant's MVP win in 2008 with kind words for him
The Day Prime Kobe Faced MVP LeBron
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were contenders for the regular-season MVP award in 2008. The result was declared in favor of Kobe Bryant. LeBron was very happy with the decision. He admired his 2008 Beijing Olympics teammate and expressed pleasure over Bryant bagging the MVP award in 2008. Showering adulations on Bryant, LeBron said:
'I've said since two, three years ago that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league.
He's been the best player the last five, six years. I'm glad he won it. His team had a great year, finishing first in the West."
Kobe Bryant undoubtedly deserved it. His two-way game led the Los Angeles Lakers to the top of the Western Conference. Not only that, the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 NBA finals, 4-1, with Kobe Bryant delivering a fantastic 30-point performance.
Kobe Bryant dedicated his MVP award to his team
Kobe Bryant displayed unparalleled humility while accepting the award. He called it a result of team effort and said:
'This is a team award.
This is not an individual award. The special thing about this award is that we did it together. I couldn't have done it without them.'
kobe bryant MVP 2007-2008
Bryant celebrated his MVP win with his teammates by calling every player to the court and greeting them individually. Later, while addressing reporters in the press conference, Bryant again showered praise on his teammates, saying:
'I couldn't have won this award without the play of my teammates… This is one of the awards that I couldn't have won on my own.
This gets done because we all do it as a unit.'
He made a powerful statement on teamwork by saying, "I can't thank these guys enough. These are my guys, are my brothers and WE have won MVP.'
Previously, Kobe Bryant joked about why he never won MVP in 2000s, when he peaked. He called it work of media, as Bryant was not someone as media-friendly as required to get votes for such accolades.
LeBron James Kobe Bryant FAQs
Did LeBron James and Kobe Bryant play for the same team?
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant played for Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Which year did Kobe Bryant win MVP?
Kobe Bryant won the MVP award for the regular season in 2008.
How many times did LeBron James play Kobe Bryant?
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant faced each other 22 times.
Also Read:
LeBron James or Kobe Bryant? Dwight Howard's shocking pick in the legendary NBA debate between his two former teammates
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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