LeBron James #ScoringKing Ceremony In LA 👑 | February 9, 2023

At this time, direct your attention to the video board as we begin our special presentation to honor the new, all-time scoring leader in the NBA, LeBron James. Well, simply put, Dan, LeBron James is the best high school basketball player I have ever seen. I mean, they say I'm the best player in the country, and I want to keep it that way for the next two years. There's no pressure at all. I've been getting pressure since I was 10 years old. The first pick in the Cleveland 3 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James, youngest player for 10,000 points. LeBron James! The quickest to 30 for the Los Angeles Lakers. James has passed Shaquille O'Neal. He has passed Dirk Matryoshki. Now stands alone as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. And now, Laker Nation, please welcome Hall of Famer number 42, Big Game James Worthy. Good evening, Laker Nation, and welcome to a memorable night. Tonight, we're going to acknowledge the new champion, James. But first of all, I'd like to acknowledge a friend, mentor, and for those of you who remember 1984, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke Will Chamberlain's record, and he held it for 39 years. Thank you, Kareem. Ladies and gentlemen, and Laker Nation, the young kid from Akron, Ohio, and his beautiful family, his two sons, his daughter, his wife, and his mother. Let's give LeBron James' family an amazing hand. Stand in ovation for the sacrifice that made this night possible. There's not a lot of words that can describe your journey. I always like to start with your favorite quote. The kid from Akron, Ohio, I remember your first year in Cleveland. You came right out of high school with a mission, and your discipline, your sacrifice, your dedication to your craft and to the game is second to none. I saw a photo of you, and I've seen a lot of photos of you. There's one photo of you that sticks out in my mind, and it was, I think you were in high school, and you had seen Michael Jordan play, and you were in the tunnel, and Michael Jordan was walking by. I don't think he stopped, but I saw your eyes, and I saw you looking at Michael Jordan, and I could see in your eyes at that moment that your journey had began, and you wanted to be where you're standing right now. We love you. We're glad that you broke the record in a Laker jersey, and we can't thank you enough for who you are and what you do on the court, especially for the humanitarian work that you've done, and you continue to do with your school and your business. We just can't say enough. Congratulations. Ladies and gentlemen, NBA scoring champion, LeBron James, the kid from Akron, Ohio. Oh, wow. First of all, big game, James. I appreciate all the kind words. What you have done for this franchise as well doesn't go unnoticed. You're one of the greatest Lakers of all time, one of the greatest players of all time, and I appreciate those words. On behalf of myself, but this is literally about this crew right here. This is my starting five right here. My two boys, Bronny Bryce, my daughter, Zuri, my mom, Gloria, my wife, Savannah. This is my starting five, and I wouldn't be able to do the things that I do on a day-to-day basis. I wouldn't be able to come on this court and showcase my talent to you guys every single night if I didn't have the support and I didn't have the commitment from my family that allowed me to do the things that I do. So, you know, I wouldn't be standing up here. I wouldn't be who I am. I wouldn't be able to inspire so many people all over the world. I wouldn't be able to inspire the Laker faithful. I wouldn't be able to inspire nobody if I didn't have the sacrifices and the commitment from my starting five right here. So please give them a round of applause, please. I just think back to my journey, you know, being a kid from Akron, Ohio. And, you know, when I was three years old on December 25th, 1988, my mother brought me a little tights hoop. And there's actually a photo floating around of that Christmas gift. That moment I fell in love with basketball. I was about to turn four years old on December 30th of that year. But from that moment on, I knew that that orange sphere was something that I always wanted to be a part of my journey. And who would know, someone said on social media that that was the biggest investment in the history of mankind. A $20 little tights hoop could turn into what it's turned into today. Mom, thank you. Thank you so much. Just, you know, growing up in a small town of Akron, Ohio, as an underprivileged, single-parent household, only child, you feel that you're never going to make it out. You feel like the statistics are built up against you. You feel like the system is built against you to not succeed. You feel like there's no way that you're ever going to have an opportunity for your dreams to become a reality. And I didn't allow those moments to deter me from my dreams. I had dreams every day of playing in the NBA. I had dreams every day of being an inspiration to so many people. You know, I had dreams of being able one day to be able to throw no-look passes like Magic Johnson. To be able to shoot fadeaways like Michael Jordan. To be able to, you know, have a crossover like Allen Iverson. To be able to have an afro and jump, you know, in a dunk contest like Kobe Bryant. You know, I looked up to so many athletes and so many people along my journey. And they gave me the inspiration and they allowed my dreams to not die. And as I got older and older and older, as I went through the high school ranks and I got drafted, I always felt it was my job and my responsibility to come out and play the game at a high level and be as great as I can be. Because there is a kid in the inner city somewhere that's looking for inspiration and that's going to need it and maybe get it from me. So as I sit up here and I know we have a game to be played. As I sit up here and look across this jumbotron and this thing going around the crypto right now and seeing the NBA all-time leading scorer. It's just so surreal to me. But the one thing I know for sure is I've never cheated a game of basketball. And I would never cheat the game of basketball because it's given so much to myself. It's given so much to my family. My beautiful wife has been, I mean, she's the real MVP if you want to be completely honest. She's actually the all-time leading scorer if you want to be completely honest. My boys will say they are the all-time leading scorers, but I don't think Savannah will allow that tonight. But my family is everything to me and you guys over the last five years have become family to me as well. So thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are unbelievable. And every night I step on the floor, I understand and I truly have a huge responsibility and understand what it means to represent the Los Angeles Lakers when I step on this floor. So thank you. Thank you so much. You become the GOAT when the things you do on the court outshine all the other players. Now LeBron is going to have to look over his shoulder at all the hungry young players trying to break his record. I hope that one of them will be one of his sons, Bronny O'Brien. That way, if they're involved, he'll be happier than he was on the day that he set the record. Congratulations, LeBron. You earned it. Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA's new all-time scoring leader. Hail to the king, LeBron James.