Whenever people talk about basketball, they’re quick to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan as one of the greatest of all time. Well now, he’s surpassed the GOAT in at least one more statistical category: points.
Tonight against the Denver Nuggets, LBJ needed 13 points to be 4th and pass Jordan on the NBA all-time points list and did so in the second quarter. All it took was an and-1 layup with 5:38 mark to do so.
It was obviously an emotional feat for him.
Before the game, he spoke to the media and was asked about making history in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey and he had this to say:
“I kind of take all accomplishments as they come, and anytime I’m in the breath of any of the greats and, obviously, MJ being the guy I looked up to my whole life, a guy I aspired to be when I was a kid and just, I think it’s going to be pretty cool.
I don’t know how I’ll react in the moment obviously, but I think at some point I’ll be able to appreciate it, just knowing where I come from and knowing that it’s so much bigger than just me. So many kids look up to me for inspiration, and when I was a kid their age I needed inspiration, and MJ was that inspiration for me along with some other people. … Sometimes I have no idea how I’m even in this position to be able to sit here, play the game that I love, play at a high level and be linked with some of the greatest to ever play this game, and obviously MJ being out of this world, so it’s pretty unique.”
Congratulations to @KingJames for passing Michael Jordan’s 32,292 points to become fourth leading scorer of all-time!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 7, 2019
It’s a bittersweet achievement considering his tumultuous year with the Lake Show, but this should cap a positive spin on an otherwise failure of a season.