On June 16th, PSG star Kylian Mbappe shared a photo of himself with idol LeBron James in California, USA. The picture was taken two days earlier, when Mbappe dressed simply to attend Game 6 of the 2018/19 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors at Oracle Arena.

At a height of 1.78 meters, the French striker was overshadowed by “King James” (who stands at 2.03 meters tall and weighs 113 kg). Despite playing basketball in the US and football in Paris, they are close friends. In December 2018, James and Mbappe met in France and exchanged jerseys from PSG and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The common point between James and Mbappe is that both of them became famous at a very young age. At the age of 18, James was the most sought-after young talent in the NBA. Meanwhile, Mbappe dominated the football world in the colors of AS Monaco, PSG, and set a series of records before turning 20.

James explained how he dealt with fame when he was young, saying: “I was mentally prepared before turning 18. I knew the day I stepped into the spotlight would come quickly.” As for Mbappe, he expressed, “When you become famous, you lose a normal life because of the great responsibility on your shoulders. Your age may be young, but you have to behave like an adult.”

In the 2018/19 season, Mbappe continued to show his brilliant form in the colors of PSG. He played in 43 matches across all competitions and scored 39 goals. Recently, at the age of 20, Mbappe reached the milestone of 100 goals for both his club and national team, two years earlier than Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

James currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA and is the world’s number one basketball star. “King James” is 34 years old but still maintains an impressive physical foundation and a playing style that is fast, powerful, and skillful. He is among the top 10 highest-earning athletes in the world in 2019.