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Throwback Thursday: LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant 2007 Blue and White Game

By Jackson Flickinger

Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) battle for position in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) battle for position in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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LeBron James and Kobe Bryant never faced each other in the Finals. However, they did have their share of memorable duals. One of the best was a pre-Olympic scrimmage from 2007.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are the two biggest stars of the Post-Jordan Era. They dominated the game together for over a decade. It was must-watch TV anytime those two shared the same court.

Because the two stars were never in the same conference, we had to settle for two head-to-head regular season games a season. We never got the LeBron and Kobe matchup in the Finals, so the rivalry never truly blossomed.

While the rivalry never reached its fullest potential, there is no denying that both players felt there was something to prove when they faced off. Each player tried to prove that they were indeed the best in the world.

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While the U.S. Mens’ Basketball Team is dominating the Olympics now, that wasn’t always the case. The 2004 team came home from Greece with only a bronze medal. It was the only time since NBA players were allowed to compete that the U.S. did not win gold. The 2004 team was an embarrassment to U.S. basketball.

There may not have been a more motivated U.S. team than the 2008 “Redeem Team.” They were on a mission to regain the U.S.’s stranglehold in international competition. To do this, they trained and practiced like they were underdogs with something to prove. This drive and focus was evident a year before the Olympics during the 2007 Blue and White scrimmage in Las Vegas, NV.

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LeBron and Kobe were split onto different teams for the scrimmage. Kobe was the consensus best player in the world, but LeBron was coming off of an impressive playoff run to the Finals with a mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers team. James was ready to prove that he was indeed the best in the world.

This scrimmage was one of the best duals that LeBron and Kobe have ever had. LeBron had a solid 18-point performance capped off by an impressive block on Kobe.

However, Kobe had the last laugh in the end. He finished with 26 points and the game-winning shot with six seconds left. LeBron tried to tie it up with a clutch shot of his own, but it wouldn’t go.

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While this game meant nothing in the record books, it will go down as one of the most exciting duals between LeBron and Kobe. It’s a shame that we will never know how a LeBron vs. Kobe Finals would have ended.