Lebron James’ legendary NBA career deserves our appreciation

It wasn’t supposed to be a fadeaway, Lebron. It was supposed to be a Kareem hook shot.

That ceremony was long, too. There was still a whole quarter left to play. 

What a game though. 

From the comfort of my couch, I witnessed a 38-year-old man laugh his way to becoming the all-time leading scorer, breaking a record that most thought would never be broken.

And yet it seemed inevitable. I don’t think anything was going to stop him from breaking Kareem Abdul Jabaar’s record that night either.

When Lebron turned his back to his defender with less than a minute left in the third, everyone in the stands on their feet, time might have stopped. Then, when he rose and sank the shot, he rewrote history as we know it. 

This man had me jumping up and down in my living room at 11:30 p.m. on a weeknight! Lebron James, a basketball player, brought people to tears with his play that night.

A truly legendary performance. 

However, even after that awe-inspiring showing from Lebron, which saw him score his 38,390th point, it still begs the question: has Lebron James passed Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time?

This question has not only dominated slow news days at ESPN for years now but also caused some of the most heated school cafeteria table debates I’ve ever seen. It’s just one of those questions nobody can definitively answer. 

Instead of stacking Lebron up against Jordan or any other great though, we should appreciate what he has accomplished. Although the comparisons make for good conversation, they undermine his illustrious career. 

With the entire world watching, Lebron joined the league fresh out of high school with the loftiest expectations and lived up to them.

Better yet, he exceeded them.

Not only did he make an immediate impact in his very first NBA game, but he continued to dominate the league for the next 20 seasons.

It didn’t matter where he played either. As long as Lebron was on the roster, his team was going to be competing for a title.

It’s crazy to think that even after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, amassing numerous other awards and honors, and setting records left and right, all anyone seems to care about are his rings or lack of a “killer instinct.” 

Whether one liked Lebron or not, one cannot simply deny the fact that he was and still is a transcendent talent. There will never be another player quite like him, and the league will miss him dearly when he finally decides to hang it up for good.

So, try not to take for granted moments like these, because the King, despite his longevity, won’t be around forever. Appreciate him while he’s still on top, and watch a Lakers game too. 

You’ll thank me later.