LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant: 5 Best Moments of Their Careers

The date we've circled on the calendar is finally here.

Tonight's matchup between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers will be a classic showdown of rivals.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have argued for years over who is the better player. They anticipate every head to head game against each other and will put on fireworks tonight in Miami.

To get ready for a great night of hoops between the NBA's biggest stars, we take a look at the 5 best moments from each player's career.

LeBron James: LeBron Finally Beats Boston

With the Boston Celtics on the cusp of tying their 2011 semi-final series with the Miami Heat at two games apiece, James broke out a nasty three-pointer to tie the game and steal all the momentum.

It was a defining moment that ended James' struggles with the Celtics and perhaps ended an era.

King James Returns to Cleveland for the First Time after "The Decision"

There was an extreme amount of pressure on LeBron James and the Miami Heat heading into their game with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season.

The team had struggled up to that point in the season and walked away with an impressive win.

Cavalier fans had to watch James drop 38 points, as Cleveland lost by 28.

LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce

LeBron James and Paul Pierce dueled in a classic Game 7 of  the 2008 Eastern Conference Semi-finals.

The game is regarded as one of the best playoff duels ever.

James would score 45 points, but Pierce would put up 41 for his team and start the Boston Celtic tradition of breaking the Cleveland Cavaliers' heart.

LeBron Scores 25 Straight

The "clutch" talk against LeBron has to be balanced.

This performance against the Detroit Pistons to get his team to the Finals was brilliant.

James' 25 straight points are also a playoff record.

Lebron Takes His Talents to South Beach

James' decision to go to the Miami Heat was the best decision he could make.

He caught a lot of flack for it initially, but people hate until you win. In Miami, he will be in position to win year after year.

James' marketing ability has gone through the roof. People who did not recognize him are now watching him play. The Heat have the best road-game ticket sales in the league and have a sea of Miami jerseys in every away arena. His shoes are top-sellers and he had the top-selling jersey last season.

He continues to be the most talked about player in all of basketball.

Kobe Bryant: 2000 Game 7 vs. Portland TrailBlazers

The comeback win for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 Western Conference Finals began the new era for the Lake show.

The Portland Trail Blazers led by 15 points in the fourth quarter before surrendering the game and their season.

Kobe Bryant was actually the high-scorer for the Lakers with 25 points. Shaq would only have 18.

It foreshadowed who would be the go-to-guy in L.A. with the game on the line.

Just for enjoyment, here is the memorable clip of Kobe breaking Scottie Pippen's ankles and throwing the lob to Shaq during the final seconds of the game.

The Coming Out Party

During the telecast of the 1998 NBA All-Star game, the announcers often made references to Michael Jordan passing the torch to Kobe Bryant.

Bryant was unfazed by the pressure and led the West with 18 points, as he was also the youngest player to ever start an All-Star game at 19 years of age.

Kobe Outscores Dallas Mavericks by Himself Through 3 Quarters

In a 2006 regular-season game, Kobe led the Dallas Mavericks 62-61 at the end of three quarters.

That's right, the man dropped more points than Dallas' entire team by himself.

Kobe Wins without Shaq...Twice

Many skeptics wrote off Kobe Bryant's chance at winning when Shaquille O'Neal departed.

This seemed likely when the Lakers floundered the following year and Shaq would go on to win another title in Miami.

The unexpected happened when The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis for practically nothing, and Kobe got his second chance.

He would make good on his opportunity, winning not one but two titles after the O'Neal years.

Kobe Drops 81 Points

This has to be the single best scoring performance in NBA history.

Yes, even better than Wilt's century mark.

Kobe did not have the physical advantage over his contemporaries that Wilt had. Bryant's work was just effort, will and determination.

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