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WATCH: LeBron James passes Michael Jordan for 4th of NBA scoring list, gets emotional

Sanket Chaudhury
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WATCH: LeBron James passes Michael Jordan for 4th of NBA scoring list, gets emotional

The Las Vegas odd-makers had varying odds on which quarter LeBron would cross MJ on the all time scoring list and not on if he would get it. And as expected, LeBron, who needed just 13 to get past MJ to the 4th all-time, got there in the 2nd quarter.

It was the most LeBron way to get it as well. He drove to the basket, got fouled and made the shot for an and-1. That was as perfect a way for LeBron to pass MJ as Kobe making a fadeaway to get to the same milestone.

Lakers games have turned to a dumpster fire, so lets not waste anyones time delving into a loss to the Denver Nuggets (even though the South Bay Lakers boys made a game out of it before slipping at the end). The only thing of note at todays game for the Lakers fans was LeBron’s record.

Every player on the top-10 list of scoring is a scorer. The top-5 besides LeBron are seen as the scoring forces that have change the game. Kareem and his skyhook, Malone and his pick and rolls, Kobe with his fadeaway, Michael with the fadeaway and tough layups, Wilt with his over the defenders post work, Dirk and his one-legged fadeaway.

These are all players that are known for one thing more than anything else and that is scoring. Sure some of them were great defenders, but that is not why they are considered legends.

But LeBron James is not a scorer. Sure he scores a hell of a lot of points, and with consummate ease, but James is not a scorer. He is a point forward who makes the right play and scores when his scoring is the right play. Its a testament to his gravity and his finishing consistency that he’s scored so much despite being top-10 all time on assists.

The magnitude of scoring more than Jordan and assisting nearly as many times as Chris Paul (LeBron is 500 behind Paul, but given Paul’s injury history, who knows which player finishes higher at the end) is massive. There is no player that comes anywhere close to doing this.

And yet LeBron has got there without even having to try too hard as a scorer or a passer. The game just comes naturally to him.

The Lakers played a video tribute for LeBron which had him emotional as he sat on the bench with a towel on his face hiding his emotions.

Others joined in too. The video made by kids from LeBron “I Promise” school was a touching tribute.

But the best video to drop might have been the one made by close friends and team-mates of LeBron, in Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, who congratulated by calling out (as a joke) LeBron for being a ball hog and asking him to pass the ball once in a while.

LeBron himself wore special sneakers for the occasion. His special edition shoes had the color way of the Air Jordan 3s, with a note thanking Jordan on the shoe itself.

He even seemed to do the typical Michael Jordan tongue out celebration in game as a mark of respect for Jordan who he greatly admires. In fact LeBron wears the number 23 jersey in honor of Jordan.

Dwyane Wade too came up with a brilliant post for his dear friend LeBron James, who had just overtaken his childhood idol in the NBA scoring list. Wade understood the importance of the moment and had a small message for LeBron to cherish.

Who ends up as the greatest 23 number ever, will always be up for debate. What’s not up to debate is the joy of watching LeBron James and watching him notch another feather is his cap by passing Jordan.

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