INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- LeBron James said knowing this will be Kobe Bryant's last season is "truly sad for me" and that he regrets that the pair never faced off in the NBA Finals.
"I didn't hold up my end of the bargain in 2009 for the fans, for us, to meet in the Finals," James said Tuesday, looking back on the 2008-09 season when his Cleveland Cavaliers led the league with a 66-16 record and Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers were right behind him at 65-17. "I know the world wanted to see it.