LeBron James Comments on Never Facing Kobe Bryant in NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James admitted Tuesday that he's "truly sad" Kobe Bryant is retiring at season's end, and he talked about how it will be "pretty weird" to see the Los Angeles Lakers without him. He also lamented never getting a chance to face off against him in the NBA Finals.  

Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com passed along comments from James, who discussed idolizing a young Bryant because he felt Michael Jordan "was so out of this world that I could never get there." Not getting a chance to meet him in the 2009 Finals is a lingering disappointment.

"I didn't hold up my end of the bargain in 2009 for the fans, for us, to meet in the Finals," said James, whose Cavs lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals that year. "I know the world wanted to see it. I wanted it, we wanted it. He held up his end and I didn't hold up my end, and I hate that. I hate that that didn't happen."

The Cavaliers are on track for another deep playoff run and potential Finals appearance this season following a 13-4 start. The same cannot be said for Bryant's Lakers, who sit at 2-14, so the chance to square off on the grandest stage has likely slipped away.

James believes the competitive fire they share could have made for a memorable series, per McMenamin: "I've seen the stat that since '07 either he has or I've been in the Finals but we've never matched up. And that definitely sucks. Not only for us two being competitors, wanting to go against each other in the Finals, but also for the fans."

Bryant, who announced his decision to step aside Sunday on the Players' Tribune, is virtually unmatched among current players in terms of that internal drive to win. That's why it's been difficult to watch him struggle in recent years as injuries have sapped his ability to perform at an elite level.

Getting a chance to see Bryant and James in the NBA Finals would have definitely been must-see television. It just never came together, and it sounds like that's one thing the Cavaliers star will always think about when his own career comes to a close.

For now, they will get a chance to match up on the court two more times. Cleveland welcomes Bryant to town for the last time Feb. 10, and the Cavs visit the Lakers on March 10.