LeBron James' 25,000-point milestone is a testament to his unselfishness
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By Chris Haynes, Cleveland.com The Plain Dealer
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on November 03, 2015 at 8:00 AM, updated November 03, 2015 at 1:17 PM
PHILADELPHIA – It was a prestigious fraternity LeBron James marched into on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center.
He became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 25,000-point milestone, at the age of 30. After the Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 107-100, James couldn't come up with the words to articulate what the moment meant.
It was all too new. He wasn't even aware that he was 21 points short of the milestone until reporters asked him about it during the team's morning shootaround. He hadn't had the time to sit back and reflect.
But his teammates had enough time and spoke on his behalf. They were just as happy, or happier, than James appeared to be after he made history.
"That's crazy, you know," center Timofey Mozgov said. "It's amazing what he's been able to do. To watch him do it in person, it was just a great accomplishment for a great person."
Guard Matthew Dellavedova threw the lob pass to James that put him over the 25,000-point mark. It's a pass he'll remember forever.
"The youngest at 25,000. Man, that's probably something I'll look back on when I'm finished playing and say I've played with the guy who is one of the greatest in the game," he said.
The Philadelphia fan base can be cruel, but they were all class when it came to recognizing James for his feat. They stood up and applauded, giving him a standing ovation when the arena public-address announcer made note of the milestone.
It might not have been the ideal circumstance, but Sixers fans finally had something to cheer about on Monday.
"To do it in a building that loves the game of basketball ... " James said. "Obviously, they're Sixer fans to death, but they know and respect the game of basketball and to get a standing ovation with me reaching that milestone was very special."
His stat-line on the night read 22 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and two blocks in 33 minutes of play. That's not bad for a player nursing a sore lower back.
In the locker room, his teammates showered him with love and congratulations. They had witnessed greatness.
"We gave him the game ball," forward Tristan Thompson said. "What he's done is incredible. We're all just happy for him and it means more when you know how great of a person he is."
That's what stood out during postgame media availability: players talking about the type of man James is and how it couldn't have happened to a better person. The achievement is special; the man is even moreso.
James is selfless and caring and cherishes relationships. He loves each and every one of his teammates. Whenever one of his sponsorship partners sends him a shipment of its latest novelty, he hands them out to teammates. He recently blessed them with new Beats in-ear headphones.
That's why they don't have a problem with taking criticism or following through on his many demands, because they understand that he has their best interest at heart.
Last week James barged into the room and informed his team they'll be sporting a new look for a while.
"He just walked in the locker room and said everybody has to cut their beards and keep their mustache," guard J.R. Smith recalled. "And everybody fell in line."
In shaving their beards the Cavaliers are acknowledging Movember, an annual event in November intended to raise awareness for men's health issues. It's something that James has become passionate about over the last few years.
"First and foremost, it's for men's health and prostate," James told cleveland.com. "We all know the history behind that stuff, but it's also another way to have team bonding."
The players look like they're straight out of the 1970s. Thompson admitted to some of them looking goofy, but said, "If the head honcho says we have to do it, then we have to get it done."
The way James shapes a winning culture is that he believes the closer the team is off the court, the closer it will be on the court. It's the team-bonding activities, the affection and the selflessness that makes James such a respected and admired teammate.
And for those reasons and more, it's why his teammates celebrated in that locker room as if they each scored 25,000 points. It was a team achievement, because James has always included them.
"It just means that I've played with a lot of great teammates and a lot of great coaches that put me in position to be successful on the floor," James said.
LeBron James' 25,000-point milestone is a testament to his unselfishness
Print Email
By Chris Haynes, Cleveland.com The Plain DealerFollow on Twitter
on November 03, 2015 at 8:00 AM, updated November 03, 2015 at 1:17 PM
PHILADELPHIA – It was a prestigious fraternity LeBron James marched into on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center.
He became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 25,000-point milestone, at the age of 30. After the Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 107-100, James couldn't come up with the words to articulate what the moment meant.
It was all too new. He wasn't even aware that he was 21 points short of the milestone until reporters asked him about it during the team's morning shootaround. He hadn't had the time to sit back and reflect.
But his teammates had enough time and spoke on his behalf. They were just as happy, or happier, than James appeared to be after he made history.
"That's crazy, you know," center Timofey Mozgov said. "It's amazing what he's been able to do. To watch him do it in person, it was just a great accomplishment for a great person."
Guard Matthew Dellavedova threw the lob pass to James that put him over the 25,000-point mark. It's a pass he'll remember forever.
"The youngest at 25,000. Man, that's probably something I'll look back on when I'm finished playing and say I've played with the guy who is one of the greatest in the game," he said.
The Philadelphia fan base can be cruel, but they were all class when it came to recognizing James for his feat. They stood up and applauded, giving him a standing ovation when the arena public-address announcer made note of the milestone.
It might not have been the ideal circumstance, but Sixers fans finally had something to cheer about on Monday.
"To do it in a building that loves the game of basketball ... " James said. "Obviously, they're Sixer fans to death, but they know and respect the game of basketball and to get a standing ovation with me reaching that milestone was very special."
His stat-line on the night read 22 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and two blocks in 33 minutes of play. That's not bad for a player nursing a sore lower back.
In the locker room, his teammates showered him with love and congratulations. They had witnessed greatness.
"We gave him the game ball," forward Tristan Thompson said. "What he's done is incredible. We're all just happy for him and it means more when you know how great of a person he is."
That's what stood out during postgame media availability: players talking about the type of man James is and how it couldn't have happened to a better person. The achievement is special; the man is even moreso.
James is selfless and caring and cherishes relationships. He loves each and every one of his teammates. Whenever one of his sponsorship partners sends him a shipment of its latest novelty, he hands them out to teammates. He recently blessed them with new Beats in-ear headphones.
That's why they don't have a problem with taking criticism or following through on his many demands, because they understand that he has their best interest at heart.
Last week James barged into the room and informed his team they'll be sporting a new look for a while.
"He just walked in the locker room and said everybody has to cut their beards and keep their mustache," guard J.R. Smith recalled. "And everybody fell in line."
In shaving their beards the Cavaliers are acknowledging Movember, an annual event in November intended to raise awareness for men's health issues. It's something that James has become passionate about over the last few years.
"First and foremost, it's for men's health and prostate," James told cleveland.com. "We all know the history behind that stuff, but it's also another way to have team bonding."
The players look like they're straight out of the 1970s. Thompson admitted to some of them looking goofy, but said, "If the head honcho says we have to do it, then we have to get it done."
The way James shapes a winning culture is that he believes the closer the team is off the court, the closer it will be on the court. It's the team-bonding activities, the affection and the selflessness that makes James such a respected and admired teammate.
And for those reasons and more, it's why his teammates celebrated in that locker room as if they each scored 25,000 points. It was a team achievement, because James has always included them.
"It just means that I've played with a lot of great teammates and a lot of great coaches that put me in position to be successful on the floor," James said.
LeBron James' 25,000-point milestone is a testament to his unselfishness
