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LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday. The LA Lakers star entered the arena as motivated as ever. He needed 36 points to break the record and achieved it late in the third quarter.
James had a few special messages written on his pink Nike shoes:
"The Man In The Arena," "The Kid From Akron" and "Stay Present" were three messages emblazoned on his LeBron 20s.
LeBron James frequently uses these messages as hashtags on his social media. On the night that he became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, it was only fitting for the LA Lakers superstar to call himself "The Man in the Arena."
LeBron James reflects on adversities he faced as a kid in Akron after becoming NBA's all-time leading scorer
LeBron James has earned every piece of success he has had on and off the court. He didn't have the best resources growing up in Akron, Ohio. He was raised by a single parent, and he and his family sacrificed plenty to get to where they are now.
"King James" reflected on his journey as a kid after breaking the all-time scoring record, saying (via Spectrum SportsNet):
"I've sacrificed a lot. ... It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of things that you want to do that you can't do because you want to be as great as you can be. You want to be the greatest to ever play the game."
James had the NBA world on its feet during the game. The crowd went into a frenzy every time James controlled the rock, as well as every time he was subbed in and scored a basket.
James seemed to enter the arena believing that this was the night he would break the record. Premeditating a 36-point outing is no joke, especially for a player aged 38 playing in his 20th season. But that's LeBron. The four-time MVP has achieved some of the greatest milestones ever, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him have many more incredible moments before his career winds down.
James finished with 38 points, shooting 65.0% from the field, making 4 of 6 shots from deep and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. The Lakers, unfortunately, couldn't capitalize on his historic night as they lost 133-130.
Guess the Lakers players!
