Can you think of another athlete that had even close to as much hype as LeBron James did entering the NBA? It’s not a long list. For James to 100 percent live up to that hype is something that shouldn’t be glossed over. In this respect, it’s hard to find anyone else comparable in the modern era.
James continued his assault on the record books Monday night in South Philly. The 30-year-old became the youngest player in league history to score 25,000 points after depositing a difficult lob from Sixers coach Brett Brown’s favorite scrappy Aussie, Matthew Dellavedova. The Cavs won the game, 107-100.
After PA announcer Matt Cord announced the milestone, something interesting happened: The Sixers crowd gave James a pretty loud ovation, much more than just a polite golf clap. Check it out here:
This was a good moment for Philadelphia basketball fans, saluting one an all-time great for all he has done on the floor. A good look, in other words. After the game, James sounded grateful for the reception he received.
“To be able to do it in winning fashion number one, to do it with this group of guys, and to do it in a building that loves the game of basketball,” James said when asked what made this milestone special.
“Obviously, they are Sixer fans to death but they know and respect the game of basketball. And to get a standing ovation reaching that milestone, it was very special.”
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