4X NBA champ LeBron James gets emotional as old video with sons Bryce and Bronny James resurfaces: "Wow"

A video of LA Lakers stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant battling on the court resurfaced on Instagram with the former joking around with his sons, Bryce and Bronny James, before a game between the two stars in 2009.

The four-time NBA champion reacted emotionally to the video on his Instagram stories, captioning it:

"Wow!!!"

James's IG

LeBron James' special relationship with Kobe Bryant

LeBron James was perhaps the most hyped prospect in the history of the NBA when he went straight from high school to being the No. 1 draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.

Since then, the greats of the game, including former Lakers star Kobe Bryant, have fostered a special relationship with James, and he was particularly close to Bryant even as they battled on the court.

In a 2020 interview with PEOPLE, LeBron James revealed that it was Bryant who welcomed him to the Lakers when he joined in 2018 despite a lukewarm reception by the fans.

"I do remember when I decided to come here. He (Bryant) sent me a text right away and said, ‘Welcome, brother. Welcome to the family,'" James said. "That was a special moment because at the time, Laker faithful wasn’t [fully in on me]."

LeBron James addresses the future of Bronny James

The USC Trojans had a torrid season and Bronny James struggled to justify the hype he arrived with in college basketball, which has fueled speculation about his future.

Trojans head coach Andy Enfield recently announced his decision to leave the job for the SMU Mustangs job due to their impending move to the basketball-dominated ACC.

Earlier this week, speculation mounted that due to Enfield's move from USC, the marketable Bronny James entered the transfer portal, and while it has not yet been formally confirmed, speculation continues to soar.

After the LA Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 128-111, Bronny's supportive father did not directly deny or confirm the speculation.

“At the end of the day, Bronny’s his own man,” LeBron said. “He has some tough decisions to make, and when he’s ready to make those decisions, he’ll let us all know. But as his family, we’re going to support whatever he does.”

After initially thought of as a guaranteed one-and-done prospect at the college level, Bronny James might opt to enter the transfer portal and stay in college basketball for an extra year instead of directly opting for the NBA draft.