LeBron James opens up about relationship with Michael Jordan
Los Angeles Lakers star forward LeBron James grew up idolizing Michael Jordan, which helped fuel his push toward an NBA career.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday morning, James opened up about his relationship with Jordan, revealing that the two don’t have a close connection.
“We don’t talk,” James said via ESPN. “Because I’m still playing. I’m still playing, I’m still focused on my craft right now.”
James’ remarks seem to suggest that the competitive nature may be playing a factor in the two not currently holding a strong relationship. He later added that he hopes that once he retires, he and Jordan can foster a close-knit bond with the Hall of Famer.
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James also discussed his relationship with Kobe Bryant, stating that the two didn’t truly garner a deeper connection until he joined the Lakers.
“That’s when our relationship became really, really good,” James said. “He welcomed me. He called me, like, ‘Bro, anything you need in L.A., I got you. You’re a Laker now. You’re family.’ And we would have multiple conversations.
“Obviously, you guys saw him coming to a lot of games. … And when I passed him for the scoring record in Philly, he had a tweet out there like, ‘Keep on going.’ Like, ‘Keep transcending the game. Keep going.’ And that s— meant so much to me.”
Ultimately, James remains focused on the remainder of his NBA career, where he has the opportunity to add more accolades and potentially another championship to his resume.
