It’s been three months since the tragic death of Kobe Bryant shook the sports world right into its very core. Throughout that time, fans, players, and celebrities from everywhere are continuously sharing their favourite and most memorable Kobe Bryant stories.

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade is among the guys that’s constantly showing love. He has always talked about chasing Bryant’s approval as soon as he came into the league in 2003, which makes a ton of sense considering they play the same position and the Black Mamba was already a three-time NBA champion and established superstar at that time.

While on Instagram Live with Golden State Warriors guard and two-time MVP Stephen Curry on Friday, Wade shared a new Kobe story. It was a proud moment for D-Wade as he felt that it was a new level of respect, not just from one of his idols, but also the NBA.

“When I first got into the league, I couldn’t throw rock in the ocean. I couldn’t shoot, so everyone backed all the way to the rim … And then, we were playing the [Los Angeles Lakers], Kobe picked me up 94 feet – because at first, he would pick me up underneath the three-point line, go under screens, and let me shoot. So, the moment a guy starts [pressing me full court] because they didn’t watch me to touch the basketball, that’s the moment I was like ‘Oh, okay. I got respect now.”

There’s little clue to find out which particular game Wade was talking about, but through a quick search on YouTube, you’ll see a clip that relatively mirrors the story he told. It provided a simple glimpse between two of the best and most highly competitive guards in NBA history, as well as some textbook defensive footwork:

Wade’s not exactly one of the humblest or most modest players we’ve seen, but if that was the play he was talking about, he showed a lot of modesty. The game was on February 10, 2008, almost two years after the Heat captured the 2006 championship and he won Finals MVP. He was already an All-Star with a couple of All-NBA and All-Defense nominations at that point, so he’s past the one-trick pony youngster that he sort of described.

Then again, that particular season was a trying year for Wade, who was nursing a nagging injury. The Heat also traded Shaquille O’Neal midseason to begin a re-build, so they went on to finish with a league-worst 15-67 record – all that must’ve filled his memory of getting toppled by the opposition. The Lakers won that game, 104-94. Kobe scored 33 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while Wade only put up 19 points and committed nine turnovers.

Thankfully, the losses and the inspiration he got from Kobe’s respect drove Wade to boost his play. He proceeded to have an MVP-calibre campaign in the following season (30.2 PPG, won scoring title) and furthered his status in the NBA as he moved forward.