LeBron James was one of the many kids who wanted to be “like Mike” at the peak of Michael Jordan’s career in the 90s. 

So when the six-time NBA champion announced his first retirement in 1993 from the Chicago Bulls, a then-nine year old James cried over his idol leaving the game he loved.

"Definitely cried this day. 9 years of age," the L.A. Lakers forward, now 35, tweeted on Sunday night (May10) during ESPN’s broadcast of the Jordan documentary The Last Dance. "Just Couldn’t believe it."

The documentary chronicles the high and low points of Jordan’s NBA career through interviews with him and the people he played with, including his teammates and adversaries. 

James has said that Jordan has been one of the principal influences of his career.

"I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just seeing what he was able to accomplish," James previously said in 2017, according to The Undefeated. "I didn’t ever believe I could be Mike. So I started to focus myself on other players and other people around my neighborhood, because I never thought you could get to a point where Mike was. So I think that helped shape my game."