LeBron James’s Sick Windmill Dunk Gave Us an All-Time Great Sports Photograph
We’re so lucky to have LeBron
Pop quiz: What’s the most iconic photo of LeBron James’s career? It’s a tough question. It has to be the one of him throwing down a dunk while Dwyane Wade celebrates in the foreground, right? But Wade is the star of that photo. There’s also that one of LeBron helplessly watching J.R. Smith dribble the wrong way in the 2018 NBA Finals, although it feels wrong to say the most recognizable photo of his career is the result of another guy’s blunder. His chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals was the most iconic single play of the last decade but a still photo can’t possibly capture what made that play so impressive.
There’s a very good chance that, when you look back on LeBron’s career 20 years from now, the single most memorable photograph of perhaps the game’s greatest player was taken on a random night in February, during his 17th season in the league.
During last night’s Lakers-Rockets game, LeBron found himself all alone on a fast break and threw down a massive reverse windmill jam. It was a great dunk, especially for a guy 35 years old, and it made for an awesome highlight.
As great as the dunk was, the photo of the moment captured by NBA photographer Andrew D. Bernstein was even better.
It’s breathtaking. LeBron seems to be walking on air and makes everyone on the ground look like mere mortals beneath his larger-than-life figure. It’s perfectly lit, perfectly framed and perfectly focused. You’ll be seeing that photo for the rest of time.
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