What LeBron James had to say in news conference following record-setting effort
His friends were ready to party. He was ready to eat.
Yet when you break the NBA’s all-time scoring record, like LeBron James did Tuesday night, you have to spend some time talking about it.
James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter. Following Tuesday’s game, he has 38,390 career points — more than anyone to play in the league.
Here’s some of what James had to say about his record-setting night and career:
On understanding the significance of the moment:
“ I don’t think it has hit. I had a moment obviously when it happened, and embracing that moment and seeing my family and my friends and people that’s been around me since I started this journey, even before the NBA. So definitely a great moment right there, very emotional just being a kid from a small town in Ohio. I had a moment there, but I don’t think it’s really hit me on what just transpired. As much as I tried to live in the moment, it was kind of a blur. But looking back there and seeing my guys back there and out there on the floor with my kids, my wife and my mom, you know, it’s just a surreal feeling.”
On the shot to break the record:
“To break the record, I was able to get to a really good spot on the floor where I’m really comfortable with and get to one of my patented fadeaway shots. I know a lot of people wanted me to go to the skyhook to break the record or one of my signature dunks, but my fadeaway is a signature play as well. And I was able to get it and it touched nothing but the bottom of the net, and that was pretty cool.”
To have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in attendance:
“I just think it’s great for the game of basketball. When you talk about the years and years and years, I’m just a historian of the game so I know what guys like Kareem and Wilt and MJ and Magic and Bird and Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor, West. I could be up here all night talking about some of the greats and legends. For me, personally, it’s just an honor to be named with the greats, to be in the conversation with the greats who have played this game before me and some of the greats that is playing right now and there’s going to be some greats that play when I’m done playing the game. So, it’s a surreal feeling.”
Are you the GOAT?
“I don’t know, man. For me I think it’s great barbershop talk. It’s gonna happen forever and ever. If I was the GM or whatever the case may be of a franchise I was starting up and I had the No. 1 pick, I would take me. But that’s just me because I believe in myself, what I bring to the table, a guy that’s been able to transform his game over the course of 20 years, be able to play any position in this league, excel at any position. I can play 1 through 5. I’ve led the league in assists. I’ve been able to do whatever it is this game has wanted me to do and also transform my game as well.”
What’s the moment from tonight that you’ll always take with you?
“I write ‘the man in the arena’ on my shoe every single night, [a quote] from Theodore Roosevelt. Tonight, I actually felt like I was sitting on top of the arena tonight when that shot went in, and the roar from the crowd. I’m not sure if I would be able to feel that feeling again, unless it’s a game-winning Finals shot. But it won’t be a stop in play. Everything just stopped. It gave me an opportunity to embrace it and look around and seeing my family and seeing the fans and seeing my friends. It was pretty cool. I don’t really get to, I probably can count on my hands how many times I have cried in 20 years, either in happiness or in defeat. So that moment was one of them when I kinda teared up a little bit. It was a ‘I can’t believe what’s going on’ tears.”
Did you want to break the record tonight?
“Yeah, because my boys leave on a red-eye tomorrow night, so. Yeah. So, I just had the mind-set. I had to have the mind-set. I dressed for the occasion. like you said. I put on the headband because that’s where the journey started. I would’ve had to pay for another room in the hotel for another night for my boys. If I didn’t do it tonight they would’ve stayed till Thursday to watch this. So I’m very smart. No, but, tomorrow is not promised. And if I had an opportunity to do it tonight, and I was gonna try to make it happen. And I was still super efficient. I wasn’t out there just gunnin’. I was still super efficient and was able to get it done.”
On the ‘ride’ of his career:
“This ride has been, uh, it’s been fantastic. You know, we have a place in our hometown — not too far away from our hometown in Sandusky, Ohio, called Cedar Point. And every so many years, they come out with a new roller-coaster and we spent plenty of times just going up and testing out the new roller-coaster. And, many highs, many loops, how fast it is, whatever the case may be. And you get off, and just feeling so much excitement and just feeling you want to do it again. And my career has been like that. It’s been like one of the great rides at Cedar Point in the sense that your stomach drops at times, you’re excited, you’re yelling, sometimes you can’t breathe. But you always want to do it again.”
LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record in Lakers’ loss
The roar from the crowd at Crypto.com Arena started as soon as LeBron James came through the tunnel to start his pregame shooting routine Tuesday night, a sense of anticipation that the Lakers star was going to eclipse the NBA’s all-time scoring record held by Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
And that James did, knocking down a 14-foot fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, giving him 38,388 points at that moment, one more than Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) had scored over his 20-season career.
The crowd went into a frenzy. There was a celebration on the court, with James bending over and crying at times and then looking for his family.
Abdul-Jabbar presented him with the basketball, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said a few words.
With his family nearby, James looked at his adoring fans and shared a few words.
“I would never, ever in a million years have dreamed this any better than it is tonight,” James said. “... Thank you, guys.”
James scored just two more points the rest of the game, finishing with 38 points and seven rebounds in the Lakers’ 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He checked out of the game with 37.1 seconds left and the Lakers down by six, having pushed his all-time record to 38,390 points.
Before the game, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recalled the night Abdul-Jabbar broke the record that had been held by Wilt Chamberlain, also a former Lakers star.
The game was in Las Vegas on April 5, 1984, and it was a home game for the Utah Jazz.
“I remember the night when Kareem broke the record, and I can still hear Chick Hearn saying, ‘This record will never be broken.’ And the idea that we’re here and that someone is breaking it. Back when Kareem broke it so many years ago, 39 years ago, we couldn’t even imagine a player like LeBron. And now here he is and what he’s done, this record is not a Laker record. This is a LeBron record. This is a tribute to his hard work, his perseverance, his longevity in this business.”
James missed his first shot of the game — and the team’s first — a driving layup. He then turned the ball over on the Lakers’ next possession. He missed his second shot, a 15-footer.
He scored his first basket on a three-pointer. There was a quick scare when James was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow from Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey. James went down and then to the bench, but he came back in the game.
James finished the first half with 20 points, needing just 16 more to break the record.
James was clearly on his way to a record that Lakers coach Darvin Ham, speaking before the game, said he at one time didn’t see anyone breaking.
“I didn’t think anybody would be able to walk this down,” Ham said. “It’s amazing. Talk about 38,000 points, it’s like, whew! But here we are. ‘Records are made to be broken,’ as the old saying goes. ... Thank God I’m able to be a part of this.”
The Lakers entered the game 13th in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the 12th-seeded Thunder. The Lakers took another step back, falling one more game behind Oklahoma City.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar praises LeBron James’ leadership, tenacity
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke with TNT about LeBron James passing him as the NBA’s career scoring leader.
On what he saw in James during his push to break the scoring record:
“LeBron’s career was one of someone who planned to dominate this game. He got out of high school, he had the size and the talent to step right into the NBA, and he immediately started to have his effect, and that’s gone for almost 20 years now.
“So I think that you’ve got to give him credit for just the way he has planned to last and to dominate. And he led teams to three world championships. They didn’t get there because of someone else and LeBron tagged along. LeBron led them. You know, he has that indefinable essence that they call leadership. You know, he gets there on the court and tries to get things done. Guys want to get behind him and see that that happens because they have that much respect for him and his talent.”
On whether he ever thought his scoring record would be broken:
“I thought it had every chance of being broken. Just had to have somebody that the offense focused on continually. Game in, game out, the offense focused on him and enabled him or a player like myself to accumulate a lot of scoring.”
On what advice he would give to James on extending his career:
“I think you should talk to LeBron about that, about how he feels about trying to extend his career. From what I understand, he has another year with the Lakers, so you know he’s going to extend this record even further and it’ll be interesting to see how far it goes.”
On James’ voice off the court:
“What LeBron has done off the court is more important than what he’s done on the court. He’s sent kids to school. He’s provided just leadership and an example of how to live. I was very impressed with his family, his mom. I met her a couple of years ago when they had playoff games in Cleveland. LeBron came out and introduced me to his mom. So he really has the right values, you know, family and hard work and all those things lead to success.”
Scoring record clinches it. LeBron James, not Michael Jordan, is basketball’s GOAT
One small basket for man, one giant end to the sports argument that has plagued mankind.
With his 36th point Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and silence a decades-long debate.
James is now officially and unquestionably the greatest basketball player to ever walk this earth, and no apologies necessary to those who still insist it is Michael Jordan.
Accomplished in front of a roaring crowd at Crypto.com Arena, on a fallaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, this wasn’t just a milestone for a superstar, it was the coronation of a King.
Lakers rally late but fall short as Thunder earn the win
Russell Westbrook’s furious play and the Lakers’ late rally that erased a double-digit deficit came up short as Oklahoma City claimed a 133-130 victory Tuesday night after LeBron James set the NBA’s all-time scoring record.
After making a series of layups on bold moves down the lane in the final minutes of the game, Westbrook sank two free throws with 20.4 seconds left to bring the Lakers to within 129-125.
Oklahoma City was able to hang on to the lead as Jalen Williams converted two free throws and Kenrich Williams finished it off with a dunk to offset another layup by Westbrook and a final-second three-pointer by Patrick Beverley.
James led all scorers with 38 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the field, including four for six from deep, while Westbrook had 27 points and eight assists. James also made eight of 10 free throws and had seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points. Jalen Williams had 25 points, and Josh Giddey added 20.
Thunder take control of game in fourth quarter
After the celebration of LeBron James becoming the all-time scoring leader, the Thunder went to work in the fourth quarter to take a double-digit lead, 116-106 on an Isaiah Joe bucket, with 7:52 left to play.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s three-pointer and Josh Giddey’s layup helped maintain Oklahoma City’s double-digit lead during a 23-10 run as the game churned toward the final minutes.
LeBron James’ driving layup with 1:51 left cut the Thunder’s lead to 129-118 and gave him 38 points.
Russell Westbrook later scored three times on layups to bring the Lakers to within 129-122 with 58 seconds left, forcing the Thunder to take a timeout.
How LeBron James claimed the NBA’s scoring crown, step by step
It’s the largest compilation of greatest hits in professional basketball history, a road show unlike any that’s come before.
There’s the dunk in Miami, the clutch step-back jumper in Cleveland, the three-ball in Los Angeles.
It’s a history tour of the league’s 21st-century nomad.
There’s a layup in Seattle. A 20-footer in Charlotte against the Bobcats. A free throw in Charlotte against the Hornets. A jumper against the Hornets in New Orleans. A buzzer beater against the Hornets in Oklahoma City. A carbon-copy Kobe Bryant slam in Los Angeles.
What Showtime Lakers and other legends are saying about LeBron James
Former Lakers stars and Hall of Famers give their impressions of LeBron James overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
Jerry West
The legendary Lakers player and executive, now a consultant with the Clippers, finished his playing career as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was entering the prime of his 20-year career. West helped build Lakers championship teams in the Showtime Era and ushered in a new century of winning by acquiring Kobe Bryant on NBA draft day.
“I think there is something that you say to yourself: ‘Is there a record that won’t be broken?’ When that happened, I said who is going to play this many years, at such a high level for his whole career, and all of a sudden, this young little puppy [LeBron] comes out and grows up to be a real big puppy with enormous skill, and look at what he’s about to accomplish. And I don’t think this is the end of it, at all. I don’t see a slowdown and particularly the way the game is played today, open court, the three-point line. He’s become a very proficient three-point shooter. And that’s a remarkable thing when I look at him how he has elevated his game and yet he seemingly has not lost a step.
Read what LeBron James said immediately after becoming NBA’s all-time leading scorer
Read the full text of LeBron James’ speech to fans at Crypto.com Arena after he set the NBA’s career scoring record:
I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind.
To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me. It’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to the captain, please.
To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, my boys, my family, my mother, all my, man, everybody that’s ever been part of this ride with me the past 20 years, the past 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without you all. All your all’s help, all your all’s passion, all your all’s sacrifices helped me get to this point.
And to the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I always dreamed about. And I would never ever in a million years have dreamt this even better than what it is tonight.
So, f— man, thank you guys.
LeBron James sets the NBA’s all-time scoring record
LeBron James has become the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
He reentered the game with 2:14 left in the third quarter needing six points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He quickly scored twice to move to within one basket.
And with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, James made a step-back, fadeaway jumper over Thunder forward Kenrich Williams to make the score 104-99 and set the scoring mark at 38,388 points, one more than Kareem.
The game was stopped, and Abdul-Jabbar joined NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court to mark the momentous occasion.
James, fighting back tears, took the microphone and asked the fans to give an ovation to Abdul-Jabbar before he then thanked his family for helping him reach this pinnacle.
“I want to say thank you to the Laker faithful,” James began. “You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it means so much to me. It’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to the captain.
“To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, my boys, my family, my mother ... everyone who has ever been a part of this running with me these last 20-plus years, I say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without you all, without your help and sacrifice.”
He concluded his short speech by dropping an F-bomb.
LeBron James on verge of breaking all-time scoring record
LeBron James scores on a transition layup off a feed from Russell Westbrook for his 29th and 30th points of the night, leaving him six points from breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record with 5:11 left in the third quarter.
The bucket cuts the Thunder lead to 92-82.
James then twice tries to score on drives down the lane, but is called for a charge on the first and misses a short-range bank shot on the second that Thomas Bryant puts back with 4:31 left to cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 92-84.
LeBron has headed to the bench for what is likely his final rest of the game.
LeBron James is eight points from breaking the record
The second half of the Lakers-Thunder game is underway, and L.A. has few answers on how to slow Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scores early as Oklahoma City opens a 12-point lead.
LeBron James eventually gets his first points of the second half when he’s fouled by Gilgeous-Alexander in transition. James converts both free throws to cut the Thunder’s lead to 80-72 and leave him 14 points from the NBA’s all-time scoring record with nine minutes left to play in the third quarter.
James then knocks down a pair of three-pointers to cut the Thunder’s lead to 84-78 with 7:56 left in the quarter. He’s eight points from breaking the record.
High-scoring first half leaves LeBron James 16 points from record
The Lakers are having trouble slowing down the Thunder, who have a 72-64 lead with 59 seconds left in the first half.
Play has been stopped because of a shot-clock malfunction, though, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going to the free-throw line.
LeBron James checks back into the game after Gilgeous-Alexander makes the first of two free throws. He makes the second for a 74-64 lead.
James had a chance for a last-second bucket in transition to close out the quarter, but his shot, which came just after the buzzer, banked off the rim for a miss. He has 20 points and is 16 from breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record.
The Thunder lead 76-66 entering halftime. Gilgeous-Alexander has 19 points to lead Oklahoma City, which is shooting 26 for 44 from the field (59.1%), including 12 for 19 from deep.
The Lakers are shooting 50% from the field (23 for 46) and 42.1% from three-point range (eight for 19). They have missed six of their 18 free throws.
Russell Westbrook has 11 points off the bench on four-for-10 shooting, three for six from deep, to go along with three assists and two steals.
Thunder get hot to open nine-point lead
The Thunder continue to knock down three-point shots — a dozen of them and counting — to build a 64-55 lead with 4:31 left in the second quarter.
The Lakers are forced to call a timeout.
Oklahoma City has made 12 of 18 three-point shots, led by Mike Muscala, who has converted four-of-five attempts and has 14 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder with 15 points (on no three-pointers), and Jalen Williams has 11 points after making three of five from deep.
LeBron James, who is 16 points away from breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record, has 20 points on six-for-10 shooting, including two for three from deep.
Thunder take lead before LeBron answers with a three-pointer
The Thunder have taken the 50-45 lead midway through the second quarter with 10 unanswered points.
LeBron James answers, though, with a three-pointer to give him 17 points on the night.
After Oklahoma City scores on a Josh Giddey floater, James is fouled on the ensuing possession and knocks down both free throws.
James then powers his way down the lane again to draw another foul, and he again sinks both free throws to give the Lakers a 53-52 lead.
He’s 16 points from breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record.
LeBron scores on a three-point play for Lakers lead
LeBron James bulled his way for a layup and foul in transition to give the Lakers a 40-37 lead on an old-fashioned three-point play with 11 minutes left to play in the second quarter.
On the ensuing possession, after Oklahoma City had tied the score on another three-pointer, James scores again on a layup while drawing a foul. After completing the three-point play, he’s 22 points from the record.
The Thunder turned the ball over on their next possession, with Russell Westbrook scoring on a dunk in transition to give the Lakers a 45-37 lead with 10:05 left in the quarter.
Oklahoma City called a timeout at that point.
Lakers trail after the first quarter; James is 28 points from record
LeBron James reenters the game with 50 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous Alexander’s 13 points, hold a 36-34 lead heading into the second quarter.
James has eight points and is 28 from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. He also has two assists, two steals and two turnovers in the game.
Russell Westbrook has six points, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot.
Mike Muscala came off the Thunder’s bench to knock down three consecutive three-pointers for nine points.
LeBron scores again but is injured on the play
LeBron James scores again, slashing down the lane to take a pass from Russell Westbrook for a layup.
James appeared to be struck in the face by Thunder defender Josh Giddey on the shot and fell to the court. There was no call on the play, and Oklahoma City answered with a Giddey floater to cut the Lakers’ lead to 17-15 with 5:30 left in the quarter.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham called a timeout as James was helped to his feet by Patrick Beverley.
James returns to play after the timeout. He scores again on a driving layup for a 19-15 lead and has the Lakers’ last eight points. He’s 28 points from the record.
James soon after took a seat on the bench for his first rest of the night.
LeBron knocks down three-pointer for his first points
With the Lakers trailing 13-11, LeBron James made a three-pointer from the left wing for his first points of the game and a one-point lead with less than seven minutes left in the first quarter.
A possession later, he’s fouled at the rim attempting a layup and will be going to the free-throw line with 6:38 left in the quarter.
James makes one of two free throws and is 32 points away from the record as the Lakers lead 15-13.
Lakers-Thunder game tips off; LeBron’s chase for scoring title continues
The Lakers won the tipoff and opened the scoring on an Anthony Davis bucket.
Seconds later, LeBron James stole a pass outside the lane and was off to the races. Two Thunder cut off his fastbreak drive and his pass to Rui Hachimura was deflected and stolen.
Here we go.
The Thunder make three of four three-point shots to open the game and have tied the score at 9-9.
The Suns have beaten the Nets; Lakers vs. Thunder next
The Phoenix Suns have defeated the Brooklyn Nets 116-112 at the Barclays Center to complete the first game of an NBA national TV doubleheader.
Lakers vs. the Thunder from Crypto.com Arena is up next. And LeBron James looks ready to go.
Is it time for a LeBron James sky hook?
Colleagues Brad Turner and Dan Woike are courtside at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder warm up for tonight’s game, which should be tipping off about 7:10 p.m. PST.
They captured video and a photo of LeBron James practicing a hook shot. It’s more like Magic Johnson’s baby sky hook than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s unstoppable sky hook.
Rumors have circulated that he’ll attempt a hook shot to establish the new all-time scoring record. I’m skeptical.
LeBron James makes quite the entrance
LeBron James made quite the entrance to Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, when there is a good chance he passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
James was dressed in an all-black suit and shades as he arrived.
He is 36 points from becoming the new scoring king. James has scored 36 or more points nine times this season.
The Lakers’ recent winning formula has been for Anthony Davis to be the 30-point scorer, James to initiate the offense while putting up 25 points a game, and Russell Westbrook contributing 17-18 points off the bench.
We’ll see soon enough if James is in attack mode and looking to score.
Looking back at when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became scoring king
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been the NBA’s scoring king for 39 years. Here’s a look at the Los Angeles Times Sports front page when Abdul-Jabbar accomplished the feat on April 5, 1984.
How LeBron James fits with greatest Lakers players ever
It’s easy to understand how the best current player for the Lakers can’t be considered as the best Laker in history.
If you close your eyes and imagine the moment — the one that is LeBron James at his LeBron James-iest — it probably won’t be the same as the person next to you going through the same exercise.
Maybe you see the 18-year-old kid with the long arms and the longer shorts entering the NBA with unmatched hype and almost immediately fulfilling expectations. Maybe you see him sitting inside a Boys and Girls Club turning in an instant from a Midwest hero to a South Beach bad guy. Maybe it’s him bouncing in front of a Miami crowd decked in all white, celebrating his first championship. Or it’s him chasing down Andre Iguodala from behind for a blocked shot in Oakland. Or maybe you see him in the streets of Cleveland, surrounded by adoring fans hanging off of every possible structure.
It could be this or any other snippet from two decades worth of highlights.
Yet if you’re being totally honest with yourself, do you see him in purple and gold?
It’s why, somehow, either the greatest or second-greatest player of all time can’t crack the top of any list of the greatest Laker of all time.
Plaschke: Lakers snub Kyrie Irving and annoy LeBron James. Good for them
The tweet appeared within hours of the news that the Lakers had not been able to pull off a trade for Kyrie Irving.
The tweet was from LeBron James, who had openly campaigned for Irving despite overwhelming evidence he would be a bad fit.
The tweet, as usual, was a passive-aggressive shot at Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka.
“Maybe It’s Me,” James declared Sunday afternoon.
No maybes about it.
It is him.
A look back: LeBron James passes Karl Malone for No. 2 on NBA’s scoring list
WASHINGTON — A free throw in Boston. A jumper in Detroit. A Kobe Bryant-inspired dunk in Los Angeles. A banked-in three-pointer in Toronto.
Over 19 seasons, these individual moments have been opportunities to celebrate LeBron James and his mostly unmatched basketball skills.
They were just slices of the story — scoring was never the complete way to judge him anyway. But over time, these points added up — the alley-oop in Portland, the up-and-under in San Antonio, the step-back in Charlotte and the layup in Chicago.
Saturday in Washington, it was a thundering dunk, a driving layup, a handful of threes and, finally, a cutting layup that pushed James up the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard to No. 2, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The historic basket came midway into the second quarter of the Lakers’ 127-119 loss. Stanley Johnson found James on a back-door cut into the paint for a right-handed layup for his 36,930th career point, moving him past Karl Malone for second on the NBA’s career scoring list.
A look back: LeBron James passes Kobe Bryant for No. 3 on NBA’s scoring list
PHILADELPHIA — The big, historic moments are ones that LeBron James cherishes. These chances to do what only the greatest players in the history of basketball have accomplished before him, these legendary feats that keep marking his career.
He sat at his locker Saturday night in Philadelphia and delivered a soliloquy about everything Kobe Bryant meant to him, his voice heavy with the gravity of passing Bryant for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
He shared a story.
On Feb. 10, 2002, James’ high school was playing Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy in New Jersey. Before the game, he and his friend Maverick Carter drove to Philadelphia in hopes of meeting Bryant, who was playing in the NBA All-Star game there. Bryant gave him his shoes.
A look back: When LeBron James passed Michael Jordan for No. 4 on NBA’s scoring list
LeBron James wore the distant look of nostalgia. He spoke slowly and deliberately, letting himself drift into the memories of how much he loved Michael Jordan when he was a little boy. He held tape cutter in his hand and fidgeted with it, interspersing his memories with the loud staccato that came from it.
*click*
“Walking up and down those Akron streets with a basketball,” James recalled.
*click*
“Singing I wanna be, I wanna be like Mike.”
Lakers ticket prices skyrocket as LeBron James nears scoring record
Want to be part of NBA history this week? It’s going to cost you.
LeBron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer won’t rival the stub-sanity of a Taylor Swift concert tour, but it’s obvious courtside glitterati aren’t the only ones willing to pay big to watch the Lakers star score his 38,388th career point.
James is poised to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s all-time scoring mark this week after his 27-point performance Saturday in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. James is 36 points away from the record, and that has caused some significant ripples in the NBA ticket market.
The average ticket price for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder is 50% higher than the season average and tickets for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks are 70% higher, according to ticket marketplace StubHub.
LeBron James continues pursuit of scoring record in wake of Kyrie Irving trade
Forget the tweets, the fake trades cooked up online or the real conversations behind the scenes that ultimately lead to nothing.
The Lakers must move forward, and Monday in the wake of a failed Kyrie Irving pursuit, they did just that.
The extent of the fallout of that pursuit, though, is still being fully sorted through.
One day after tweeting, “Maybe It’s Me,” LeBron James spoke with ESPN before Lakers practice and said he was “disappointed” that the Lakers lost out on Irving. Still, he was refocused on the Lakers’ current team.