Growing up Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James idolized Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. James put Jordan on a special tier believing that he could never be on the same level as the Hall-of-Famer. Bryant, on the other hand, was someone that James imitated and tried to be.

From the Associated Press:

"I wanted to be just like him, man," James said Tuesday. "In high school I wore a nappy afro because of Kobe Bryant," James said. "I always said my inspiration came from Jordan, but I always thought Jordan was so out of this world that I could never get there. Kobe was someone that I just always kind of wanted to be like and play like. And then, just being a competitor, he took me to that next level, and understanding how important competition is and just have a willingness to never die." "I knew I had to be better because of Kobe Bryant," he said. "I knew he was in the gym and I knew he was working on his game. And I knew he was great. So every day that I didn't want to work out or every day I felt like I couldn't give more, I always thought of Kobe. I knew that he was getting better and I was like, `Man, if you take a day off, he's going to take advantage of it. You cannot take a day off. You cannot take a day off.' "And I used him for my motivation throughout my career because I always knew that he was working on something. So, that part will be missed a little bit."

James actually did have a "nappy afro" in high school, a look that Bryant used to have in his younger days.

While James never got the chance to face Bryant in the Finals, it quite clear the two have a mutual respect for one another. And now James will do what Bryant did for him, motivate a younger generation of players.