When a young basketball fan realized Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James would not face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, disappointment set in.
And then he got the surprise of his life.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green hugs Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during the game in San Francisco on Saturday, February 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
During the Lakers’ 109-103 win over the Warriors, the broadcast caught a healthy moment when the young woman realized she was sitting next to the NBA all-time scoring leader.
The 12-year-old was interviewed by ESPN’s Lisa Salters during the game and said she had ordered tickets to the game three months earlier, hoping James would break the NBA scoring record with her present.
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«When I heard that he had a foot injury, I was sad,» he said. «We didn’t know if he was traveling with the team to this game or not. Then when he ended up sitting here, I’m not as tall as him, obviously, so all I could see was his shoes.»
The Lakers’ LeBron James speaks to the crowd during a ceremony to honor him as the all-time leading scorer before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9, 2023 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
«Then I look up and see lebron james And what goes through my mind is, ‘Oh my gosh, the greatest basketball player of all time is sitting next to me!’ I just freaked out completely, I was just thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is like the best time of my life.
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When asked if she had a chance to talk to James, the girl said that she was adhering to the rules.
«No. Not really. They have asked me not to distract the players,» he said.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench during the Golden State Warriors game on February 11, 2023 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. (Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
James did not play for the second straight game due to soreness in his left ankle.
The Lakers posted a photo on social media of James and the young fans gathered after the game.
The Lakers found a way to win without their star, getting 15 points, six assists and five rebounds from newly acquired guard D’Angelo Russellwho was drafted by Los Angeles in 2015.
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«It was a bit weird, but I’m trying to normalize it,» Russell said. «The sooner the better. I’ve been in this situation… After that first period, you feel comfortable again. When you’re traded so many times, the irony comes back with all these teams and it just normalizes it.» «
Associated Press contributed to this report