LeBron: Lakers playing for Kobe, 'hope we make him and his family proud'

LeBron James and his teammates know they are playing for a lot more than themselves as members of one of the most storied franchises in sports history. When they take the floor, today's players carry on the tradition of all former Los Angeles Lakers.

And in the year of his passing, no former Lakers' memory is more central to the team's ongoing playoff run than franchise icon Kobe Bryant.

"At the end of the day, we just hope we make him and his family proud, and that's just all it's about," James said immediately after Tuesday's 112-102 win that lifted the purple-and-gold to a 2-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets.

"And anybody that's ever stepped foot and put on a Lakers jersey, we hope we make them proud as well, from Kobe all the way down to everybody that's ever played in Los Angeles or been a part of the Los Angeles Lakers organization. That's what we're trying to do."

This year's delayed postseason is the first for the 35-year-old James since joining the Lakers in 2018. By comparison, Bryant made 15 postseason runs with the team, resulting in a 5-2 series record in trips to the NBA Finals.

A championship for this year's Lakers would be the franchise's 17th overall and first since Bryant led the team to victory over the rival Boston Celtics in 2010. Regardless of whether James navigates this year's condensed playoff schedule and tough opposition in Orlando to bring back another Larry O'Brien Trophy or not, he hopes to carry on the Lakers' legacy.

"It's a tradition here, and it's our responsibility - win, lose, or draw - to uphold that with the utmost responsibility and utmost respect," he added. "And that's what (late former team owner) Dr. (Jerry) Buss would want as well."