Dwyane Wade: Kobe 'was the bar for me'

This could be Kobe Bryant's final NBA season, but he eschewed any idea of a Derek Jeter-style farewell tour last February. As a result, every time Bryant arrives in a different city or lines up to face an old foe in the coming months, there will be reminiscing.

With Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Miami for Tuesday night's game against the Heat, talk has turned to his potential last game in South Florida - and, perhaps, his final matchup with Dwyane Wade. While the Heat visit L.A. on March 30, both players have missed a combined 171 games the last two full seasons.

"He was so far ahead of me on where I could get in this league," Wade said to reporters of Bryant on Monday, reminiscing about playing him during his rookie year in 2003.

While Bryant is two inches taller and four years older than Wade, there are noteworthy parallels: both will go down in history as two of the greatest shooting guards ever to play the game, both won NBA titles and scoring titles, and both found themselves as sidekicks to Shaquille O'Neal early in their careers (although less acrimoniously for Wade).

"He was the bar for me," Wade said of Bryant. "I didn't have no Michael Jordan when I was in the league. So Kobe was that bar for me."

Tuesday marks their 20th regular-season meeting. Wade's teams are 11-8 all time against Bryant's.