Exhausted and overcome with the gravity of what he had achieved, LeBron James opened up about becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Tuesday.
While some may have imagined LeBron James surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a thunderous dunk or even a skyhook, James says he was perfectly happy to break the record with a fadeaway jumper.
“I was able to get to a really good spot on the floor where I’m very comfortable, and get to one of my patented fadeaway shots,” James said postgame.
“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’s a signature play as well and I was able to get it. It touched nothing but the bottom of the net and that was pretty cool.”
James also addressed what it meant for Abdul-Jabbar to be present for the historic occasion, despite not having a close relationship with the Laker legend.
“I think it’s great for the game of basketball,” he said. “I’m a historian of the game… I could be up here all night talking about all the greats and legends. For me personally, it’s just an honour to be named with the greats… It’s a surreal feeling.
“Me and my boys, my guys, we talk about it all the time, about how we used to watch these guys, how we used to compare with these guys or think we were those guys when we were playing AAU or just playing around in the back yard. And now we’re actually up here with them… It’s a surreal feeling for sure.”
And as for the GOAT conversation?
“I don’t know, man,” James said. “For me, I think it’s great barbershop talk. It’s gonna happen for ever and ever. If I was the GM of a franchise that was starting up and I had the number one pick, I would take me. But that’s just me, because I believe in myself.
“I know what I bring to the table. You know, a guy that’s been able to transform his game over the course of 20 years to play any position in this league and excel in any position. You know, I can play one through five, I’ve led the league in assists, I’ve been able to do whatever this game has wanted me to do…
“But that don’t take away from nobody else. There’s so many great players that’s played this game with long legacies, it’s a beautiful thing and there’s been some beautiful players to play. But I can’t take no body over me.”
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