LeBron James, giant among the giants of the NBA. Gary A. Vasquez / REUTERS
Best scorer in history since that night, the Lakers player celebrated this record behind which he never ran.
«It’s surreal because I never made it a goalLeBron James said on Tuesday after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, saying he was ready to “play for a few more years».
With now 38,390 points -current series-, “LBJ” supplanted by two units the old record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1989. A feat achieved at 38, in his twentieth season, more than half of his life.
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«I never really wanted to be a top scorer, so I’m just happy to be. I just want to have longevity, to be able to be the best I can be every night“, he reacted on TNT, after the defeat conceded by his Lakers against Oklahoma City (133-130) despite his 38 points.
«I know I can play for a few more years, he added. I know it by the way I feel, how my body reacts this season. It all depends on my state of mind. If I am still motivated to try to compete for titles, I feel that I can still do it.»
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«It’s a pretty surreal feeling to be able to play at this level 20 years after my debut (in the NBA, editor’s note), to be at the top of my basketball“, said the”King».
Asked by former Lakers idol Shaquille O’Neal whether his historic performance now makes him the greatest player in NBA history, James replied with a flick: “I’ll let everyone decide».
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