History followed LeBron James onto the floor Monday night, stitched directly onto his jersey.
As the first player in NBA history to appear in 23 seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar debuted a special-edition patch during the Lakers’ matchup against the Sacramento Kings, marking a milestone the league has never seen before.
“Just super cool, super surreal, super humbled, blessed,” James said after the game, via Spectrum SportsNet. “I walked in here and seen it for the first time, it was an emotional moment as well. Just think about the journey thus far and have an opportunity to be here where it kinda all started, obviously at Oracle, but in this city. I just started thinking about from the beginning to where we are now. It’s been a heck of a journey and people that’s followed my career and my fans that followed my career again, they’re getting an opportunity to be a part of it. Thomas did a great job with that situation and the NBA getting involved, like I said, super grateful and super surreal.”
What makes the moment even more unique is what happens next. After each game, the patch worn by James will be removed and turned into a trading card by Topps, instantly becoming one of the most coveted collectibles in modern NBA history.
Los Angeles fell to Sacramento, and James’ stat line reflected a rare off-shooting performance from deep. He finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and three assists, missing all five of his three-point attempts.
Even so, the patch symbolized something far larger than a single game. Few players in league history have lasted long enough to even imagine a 23rd season. Fewer still have remained elite.
James has done both while carrying the weight of unprecedented expectations since entering the league as a teenager.
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