With 5:58 left to play, LeBron James took his shot. The Los Angeles Lakers forward was shooting for more than just victory against the Atlanta Hawks. He was shooting to break a record set by basketball legend Michael Jordan. Jordan set that record by scoring 30 points or more in 562 NBA games. As James’ shot went through the hoop, the record changed to 563.
Sports experts often call Jordan the greatest basketball player ever. But the now-aptly nicknamed “King” James usually pops up as number two on the list. Others put him at number one, just a hair above Jordan. Even his current record-breaking leaves some room for interpretation. Jordan broke the 30-point game record in 1,072 games over 15 seasons. For James, it took 1,523 games over 22 seasons.
At 40 years old, James is the oldest active player in the NBA. He’s one of the few remaining players to personally witness Jordan’s career in the 1990s. Jordan famously played for the Chicago Bulls as number 23. He earned dozens of awards and records. He appeared on sneakers, wall posters, and in movies. When 1990s sports fans thought “basketball,” they thought Michael Jordan.
James was a kid in Akron, Ohio, at the time. He admired Jordan. He studied Jordan’s moves. He calls Jordan “the lightning in a bottle for me, because I wanted to be like him.”
Across his career, James has followed in Jordan’s steps. He’s known for a turnaround jump shot much like Jordan’s. (In a turnaround jump shot, the player with the ball pretends to move away from the net, then spins back and takes a shot.) James wears the number 23 in tribute to Jordan. In 2019, James passed Jordan’s NBA total point record with “Thank you, M.J.” written on his sneakers.
“It’s very humbling,” says James. “Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, [it’s] super-cool.”
So who’s the real basketball G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time)? Is it Jordan or James? Basketball fans will likely debate that question for years.
We can learn and achieve much by following those who have gone before us. That’s true in sports. It’s also true in our spiritual lives. There, we can follow the example of the true Greatest of All Time—Jesus. He faced the same troubles and temptations we do. He overcame them all. But unlike earthly heroes, He doesn’t provide just an example. He gives us the power to follow Him.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. — 1 Corinthians 11:1
