Lakers: LeBron James Writes This Presidential Quote On His Shoes Ahead Of Games
Los Angeles Lakers All-Star power forward LeBron James made history Tuesday night in Crypto.com Arena, when the 38-year-old scored his 38,388th point to be crowned the NBA's all-time scoring king.
In the Lakers' matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the future Hall of Famer's record-breaking shot was made in the third quarter with a fadeaway jumper.
Fans erupted as they witnessed the ball go through the hoop; the crowd took in the moment with the newest all-time leading scorer as he broke a record that stood for nearly 40 years.
Following the memorable game, James expressed his emotions about the moment during a post-game interview. He also shared a special — and very fitting —quote that he writes on his shoe every game.
“I write 'Man in the Arena' on my shoe every single night from Theodore Roosevelt. Tonight I actually felt like I was sitting on top of the arena when that shot went in and the roar from the crowd… I’m not sure I would be able to feel that feeling again unless it’s like a game-winning Finals shot, but it won’t be a stop in play. Everything just stopped and it gave me an opportunity just to kind of like embrace it and look around and seeing my family and seeing the fans and seeing my friends.”
The minute the four-time MVP made the shot, the sold-out Lakers crowd stood on their feet in celebration. This moment was a true embodiment of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, as all energy shifted towards James in a defining moment of his career which he earned through years of hard work and tenacity.
The game came to a halt as the franchise displayed a tribute video and held a quick in-game ceremony that honored James. Adam Silver congratulated the Lakers star while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was present in passing a ball over to James, symbolically handing down the record to the 38-year-old.
As emotions piled on, James teared up during his speech while he acknowledged the fans, his family, and the league.
“It was pretty cool. I can probably count on my hands how many times I’ve cried in 20 years either in happiness or defeat. So that moment was one of them when I kind of teared up a bit. It was a ‘I cant believe whats going on’ tear."
The King was truly the only man in the arena that everyone had their eyes on, as he added one more accolade to his legendary resume.
