Kobe Bryant, LeBron James

Kobe Bryant says if he were LeBron James, he would be putting his focus into figuring out how to beat the Golden State Warriors.

(AP)

LOS ANGELES - Some would say don't think ahead, stay in the moment. But if you ask Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, he might not totally agree with that line of thinking.

When asked about what LeBron James should be focusing on in the final stages of his prime years, Bryant said the two-time NBA champion should be constantly trying to figure out how to eliminate the Golden State Warriors.

"If I were him, I'd be obsessing over dealing with the boys up in Golden State," Bryant said after the Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 120-108 on Thursday. "From a leadership perspective, how you construct a team and the personality of a team, you have to make sure you're ready to do battle for that if you're fortunate enough to get there. . . (and) Golden State is fortunate enough to get there."

The Warriors have beaten the Cavaliers five straight times in a span that includes winning the 2015 NBA Finals in six games. They destroyed Cleveland at home on Jan. 18, and the 34-point loss led to David Blatt getting fired.

To put it mildly, the Warriors have had the Cavs' number.

The way they're shattering the record books, the way Stephen Curry is being anointed the face of the NBA and how his team is challenging the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-win record has placed the Cavaliers and James on the back burner.

James isn't used to playing second fiddle.

Bryant is viewed as one of the fiercest competitors the game has ever witnessed. So his comments speak volumes of the approach James and his teammates should be taking from here on out.

"That's the problem," Bryant said, referring to the Warriors. "From that standpoint, you have to figure that out. You can't leave it to chance, you have to study. Hopefully his mind is focused on that. It's not focused on where he is in his career and how far he is. You have to focus on the problem."