Black Mamba vs. King JamesNBA Basketball is a sport that players and spectators love every time it is played. The intensity and aggression keeps both the player and the spectator captivated. Basketball is one of those sports that I can watch all day and scream at without getting tired. One of my favorite basketball teams is the Los Angeles Lakers and my favorite player is Kobe Bryant. One basketball team I deeply despise is the Miami Heat, and I can't leave their beloved LeBron James out of the equation. These two athletes are personally the best in the NBA League. Although they have some similarities, the differences between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are in the way of their childhood/education, personal life, and NBA career. Kobe grew up around basketball as his father was a professional NBA player. Every time his father "Jellybean Joe" played, Kobe participated and tried not to miss a game. Immediately, Kobe would test himself by studying his father's moves and imitating the moves he had studied. Kobe's grandparents encouraged his dream of playing basketball and mailed him NBA games, and Kobe also studied tapes (“JockBio: Kobe Bryant Biography”). During his high school year, Kobe joined his school's basketball team and led his team to the championship. Thanks to his authentic skills and maintaining his grades, he was able to get out of high school and prepare for the NBA Draft. Kobe married the beautiful Vanessa Laine in April 2001, she was 19 years old and he was 21 years old (Kobe Bryant Biography). For them and their families that was a special moment, even though Vanessa's parents thought she was too young to marry young. After two years of them being on the cards, I was trying to survive against the San Antonio Spurs. Luckily, they won an NBA championship against the veterans which gave the victory to the Miami Heat. There are similarities and differences when it comes to the childhoods of these two icons. Black Mamba and King James both began their interest in basketball at an early age. They both played basketball on high school basketball teams, scoring a lot and leading their teams to victories and after high school they went straight to the NBA Draft. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are both married to two beautiful women and also have two children. The only difference regarding their children is that Kobe has two girls and LeBron has two boys. Lastly, their NBA careers make a huge difference when it comes to their peers. Kobe accomplished more because he's older, but LeBron also accomplished a lot for his age.