LeBron James Says Kobe Bryant Was 'Happiest' He'd Ever Seen Before Death for a Heartbreaking Reason

Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James said Kobe Bryant was the "happiest [he'd] ever seen" before his death in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26. James said Bryant was in the best spirits of his life since retiring in 2016 because he suddenly had more time to be with his children. Bryant had four daughters, including Gianna Bryant, who also died in the helicopter crash.

During a post-game press conference Friday night, James recalled a recent conversation with his wife, Savannah, about Bryant. Despite all the accolades Bryant accumulated during a 20-year career, Bryant had never been happier than he had since he retired, James told his wife.

"It's like the happiest that I've ever seen," James said, reports CBS Sports. "Being able to just be with his daughters, be with his family, because when we're playing this game of basketball, we give so much to it. It's my 17th year so I know, you give so much to it that 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 it. Not even your own family sometimes."

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

James later explained that he learned the importance of spending time with your family, and that players should not feel bad if they want to be with their kids during the season.

"Don't feel bad if you happen to go to one of your loved one's events or something like that, and sacrifice your job," James explained. "Because I didn't feel bad in Boston, when I went to go see my son two hours away in Springfield, and we had a game that night, and we got our a—s kicked. But I didn't feel bad at all."

On Friday night, the Lakers played their first game since Bryant's death, taking on the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center. Although the Lakers lost, the night will remain memorable for the touching tribute the Lakers organized before the game. James also delivered a heartfelt speech before tip-off.

Bryant, Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The other victims were Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan. Bryant's family launched the MambaOnThree Fund to help the families of the other victims.

Photo credit: Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG/Getty Images