When speaking of the best shooting guards the league has ever seen, the names that commonly pop up are Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, James Harden, and, of course, Kobe Bryant. Amongst this short but elite list of names, Wade and Bryant weren’t just competitors but friends as well. In fact, for Dwyane, Kobe was his idol, a person he holds the highest regard for; at least that’s what his memoir says.

Although the three-time NBA champion ended up making some great on and off memories with the Lakers legend, it’s his first face-off with Kobe that he hasn’t forgotten to date. Moreover, he shared the hilarious story during his interview on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’.

“When I first got in the NBA, one of my idols Kobe Bryant…” said Wade. “My tenth game in the NBA, I get a chance to play the Lakers and I eventually get switched off on Kobe. And I am guarding him, and he is just like whistling.”

“He’s just making little noises, and I am like, ‘You don’t even take me seriously. Now I am scared’,” concluded Wade. What a brilliant way to receive the ‘Welcome to the NBA moment’ from none other than Bryant himself.

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What did he say about Kobe Bryant in his memoir?

In his photographic memoir called, ‘Dwyane’, he has dived deep into the people that impacted his life as an NBA player and helped him attain the success he achieved. One of them was, of course, Kobe Bean Bryant. So, when Wade did an interview with PEOPLE’s Magazine about his memoir, he spoke about how he would have liked to thank his fellow opponent and late friend.

“Thank you, you know? He put on for generations and generations to come, and it was because he gave every ounce that he had,” said the 39-year-old Heat legend. “Everyone knew that he gave everything he had to the game of basketball. He never shortcut it, and so I thank him, for not only inspiring myself and my kids — I thank him for inspiring generations that will outlive myself and everybody else in this world.”

There probably isn’t a single soul in the NBA fraternity that Kobe didn’t inspire. This is why he may be gone, but will never be forgotten, and will be talked about more for decades to come.

READ MORE: Dwyane Wade on Breaking Kobe Bryant’s Nose: “I Was in the Post and He Was Hitting Me a Little Way, Grabbing Me and Fouling Me. I Didn’t Think That Was Necessary.”