If there ever was a subdued moment to a monumental milestone, LeBron James passing Michael Jordan for fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list is it.
The Los Angeles Lakers are mired in a disappointing post-All-Star stretch in which their playoff hopes have all but disappeared.
Such is the level of turmoil that has overshadowed the Lakers season, the first with James. He probably wishes he could have chosen happier times in which to pass the mark. Had he not been injured, this would’ve happened earlier this season, and had he not been injured, the Lakers wouldn’t be in 10th place in the Western Conference.
James was 12 points behind Jordan headed into Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. He scored his 13th point on a driving bucket just past the midway point of the second quarter to pass Jordan. James drew the foul and hit the free throw for the three-point play.
James finished the game with 31 points for a career total of 32,311 in 1,190 games and 45,970 minutes. Jordan scored 32,292 career points in 1,072 games and 41,011 minutes.
Regardless of the Lakers’ season, it is still a special for James. All of the players who have played in the NBA, just three have scored more than James, and he recognized the significance.
About 2½ hours before the game, James, who grew up idolizing Jordan tweeted, “Can’t even front. This is going to be UNREAL!! Wow man.”
If James plays the remainder of the season, he will finish with around 32,740 points, which means he will pass Kobe Bryant (33,643) for No. 3 on the all-time scoring list next season, leaving him behind Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).
But as James has said several times, he doesn’t consider himself a scorer.
“No, I’m not,” he told USA TODAY earlier this season. “I’ve been telling myself ever since I was a little kid that if I ever got to this point in my life and this career, that I would never be defined by just being a scorer. If you take scoring away from me, I told myself I would still be able to make an impact on the game.
“That’s just who I am. I’m an all-around basketball player. I’m not a scorer, I’m not a passer, not a rebounder. I can do everything.”
Now, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like scoring. He does. Especially on the road.
“Quieting the crowd, that’s the ultimate,” James said. “It’s a close game and you’re able to hit a couple of buckets to silence the crowd and make the opposing coach call a timeout late in the game, I enjoy that more than anything.”
So then, how did he accumulate so many points?
“I’m just taking advantage of my opportunity,” he said. “I’ve continued to work on my game.”
— USA TODAY
