LeBron James Reflects On Kobe Bryant's Life: 'These last three years were the happiest I’ve ever seen him'

James spoke about Kobe Bryant publicly Friday for the first time since he died in a helicopter crash Sunday

Kobe Bryant's death put things into perspective for LeBron James.

Over Bryant's 20-year career, he had tunnel vision. Being the best required making sacrifices, it meant pouring himself so completely into his craft that it consumed him.

When Bryant retired in 2016, James saw an immediate change in him.

"You know what, these last three years, out of all the success he had – five rings, multiple MVPs, All-Star Game MVP, league first team everything, all life, all world, all basketball – it felt like these last three years were the happiest I’ve ever seen him," James said after Friday's 127-119 loss to Portland in the team's first game since Bryant's death.

Bryant didn't feel lost after leaving basketball. In many ways, he found himself. 

He smiled more. He had a certain lightness about him. He adored spending time with his four daughters, opting to give his three-year-old Bianka baths instead of attending NBA games and choosing to coach his 13-year-old daughter Gianna instead of coaching millionaires. 

"It was the happiest I’ve ever seen him, being able to just be with his daughters, be with his family," James said. "When you’re playing this game of basketball, we give so much to it. This is my 17th year so I know. You give so much to it where, unfortunately, your family comes to the wayside at times. Because when you want to be great at something, when you want to be the best at something, you become so driven that you won’t let nothing stand in the way of that. Not even your own family sometimes. 

"We get compared all the time to greatness, and that makes us even more driven and even more shadowed away from our own family, so that’s the difficult part of what we deal with as professional athletes when you want to be great."

Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash along with Gianna and seven other people as he was headed to the Mamba Sports Academy, where he was going to coach Gianna in a game. 

James said Bryant's death was a deep reminder of what's truly important in life. Bryant first and foremost was a girl dad. He would scoff at anyone who suggested he was missing out by not having any boys. 

The love Bryant had for his daughters was palpable and relatable. It's something that deeply resonates for James, who has two sons and a five-year-old daughter. 

"At the end of the day, when y’all punch your clocks and we punch our clocks and we’re done for the day and we’re done doing what we’re doing, just make sure you hug the s*** out of your family," James said. 

"If you got kids, tell your kids you love them. Try to make it to as much as you can, and don’t feel bad, don’t feel bad if you happen to go to one of your loved ones’ events or something like that to sacrifice your job. Because I didn’t feel bad in Boston. I went to go see my son two hours away in Springfield, we had a game that night, we got our a** kicked. But I didn’t feel bad at all. So, um, yeah, that took a twist. But in the name of Kobe, why not?" 

Friday was an emotional evening for James. 

He had prepared a speech to read before the game, but while standing near centercourt in front of 19,000 fans, he decided it wouldn't do Bryant justice. 

"Laker Nation, man, I would be selling y’all short if I read off this s***, so I'm gonna go straight from the heart," James said. 

James went on to call Bryant his brother and said Friday should be a celebration of his life. 

"This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything," James said. "The countless hours, the determination to be as great as he could be. Tonight we celebrate the kid who came here at 18 years of age, retired at 38, and became probably the best dad we've seen over the last three years."

James got a tattoo on his leg to honor Bryant on Wednesday. The image is of a snake, representing the Black Mamba, coiled around Bryant's jersey numbers, 8 and 24. The words 'Mamba 4 life' are written underneath it. 

James hung Bryant's jersey next to his locker before Friday's game.  After giving his speech, he hugged his teammates. During the national anthem, he choked back tears. 

James and the rest of the Lakers starters were introduced as '6-6, 20th year, out of Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant.' He wore an oversized jersey as he played, an homage to Bryant's signature style. 

There were heartbreaking reminders of Bryant everywhere. The two courtside seats that Bryant and Gianna sat in during a Lakers game in December were empty, covered in a pile of roses. 

Bryant's voice blared over the loudspeakers as video tributes showed his interview clips. 

Through it all, James knew he could get through the night because his children were waiting for him to hug them.   

James and Bryant had a lot in common -- but their love for their children bonded them more than anything. 

"That's the biggest thing that I have my life, I have my family and my friends and my support system and I know I'm not doing it on my own," James said. "I don't have to face this challenge on my own."