"Part of me wouldn't be here without MJ's inspiration" - LeBron James reflects on Michael Jordan's influence on him after his team clinches All-Star Game win
LeBron James has expressed his gratitude towards Michael Jordan after the 71st NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.
The LA Lakers superstar has had a sensational NBA career and is considered to be one of the greatest players to ever play basketball. However, he still showed respect to MJ at the press conference following the All-Star game and said:
"I did not want to lose out on the opportunity to shake the man's hand that inspired me throughout my childhood. Haven't had much dialog with him in my 20 years-19 years in this business. But part of me wouldn't be here without MJ's inspiration. I always wanted to be like him growing up."
"It's crazy that the game-winning shot tonight was a fadeaway and it was inspired by MJ. The way he wore his shoes, the way he wore his uniform, all the way down to some of the cars that he drove, how much he inspired me. I didn't want to waste that opportunity because we're not in the same building a lot, and haven't been in the same building a lot throughout and it meant something to me."
#NBAAllStar"I did not want to lose out on the opportunity to shake the man's hand that inspired me throughout my childhood."
LeBron thanks MJ for being an inspiration 👏 #NBAAllStar https://t.co/1uOxPMkjwQ
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are both featured in the NBA's list of 75 greatest players.
LeBron James' performance at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
LeBron James may not have won the ASG MVP Award, but he definitely put on a show for the home crowd in Cleveland.
Despite playing in the All-Star game in his 19th season, the 37-year-old dominated his opponents. He registered 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a span of 36 minutes played while also recording three steals and a clutch block.
James put the cherry on top of his fifth straight ASG win as captain by delivering the game-winning shot at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The build-up to the shot saw the Lakers superstar calling for an isolation against Zach LaVine in the right midpost. The ball found the bottom of the net after King James hit a slight shimmy and turned over his right shoulder to make a contested fadeaway. The game was sealed at 163-161.
Game on the line. @KingJames finished it. https://t.co/5GXwK7dHnx
LeBron James credited Michael Jordan as the inspiration for the game-winning shot. A staple in Jordan's offensive arsenal, the turnaround fadeaway is one of the most elegant yet difficult shots to make.
As the excitement from his performance at the All-Star Game dies down, LeBron and the LA Lakers will look to get their season back on track. Returning to action on February 25th against the LA Clippers, the Purple and Gold will have their work cut out for them.