Philadelphia Eagles players paid tribute to LeBron James after the Los Angeles Lakers star became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
NBA icon James scored 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. The Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers legend has been atop the career points list since April 5 1984 - eight months before James was even born - when he passed the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain.
The 38-year-old needed 36 points to break the record and did so with a trademark fadeaway jump shot at the end of the third quarter. Amid a roar of approving and adoring fans, James rose both arms in celebration and basked in the historic sporting moment.
Ahead of their Super Bowl LVII clash against the Kansas City Chiefs, Eagles players exclusively spoke to Mirror Sport about James’ incredible achievement. Philadelphia star cornerback Darius Slay is a huge NBA fan and heaped praise on the four-time MVP.
“It’s amazing, man. What an achievement for him,” Slay told Mirror Sport in Arizona. “His legacy is crazy, to have that longevity… he’s one of the greatest of all time. He overcame everything that everyone put on him being the chosen one - he is the chosen one - so I’m just thankful I got to witness it on TV.
“I’m pretty sure no-one thought that record would get touched, and he definitely touched it.”
Slay wants no part in mimicking James’ longevity by playing another decade, though, claiming ‘it’s too much running’. Slay’s fellow corner James Bradberry - who self-confessed to not being a huge NBA fan - said: “I wasn’t even going to watch it until Avante Maddox came into my room and told me I was missing out on a great moment, so we tuned in and I actually got to see it. For a guy to play that long and play at the level he’s played at, it’s crazy and something I want to do.”
Maddox spoke passionately about James’ accomplishment: “Seeing him shoot and hit the fadeaway, running up the court with his arms out - an incredible moment. I can only imagine how he feels being the all-time leading scorer. He’s always been one of the GOATs but still breaking records is crazy. He’s definitely a freak of nature, even when compared to the greats.”
Receiver Quez Watkins insisted the Lakers star is ‘called King James for a reason’ following his crowning moment on Tuesday night. His teammate, Linval Joseph, spoke of his somewhat special relationship with James - their shared initials.
“I remember when he first came into the league, I looked up to him because we have the same initials,” Joseph said with a smile. “To see him still compete at the highest level and still breaking records is just amazing. It’s unheard of.”
“It’s an incredible feat so big congratulations to him,” Joseph’s fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “We’re both Nike guys, so he’s doing it right.”
