On an otherwise frustrating night, LeBron James added another crown jewel to his diamond-studded resume.
Midway through the third quarter of Saturday’s 108-91 loss in Philadelphia, James caught the ball off a cut, drove through two help defenders and finished at the cup for a moment of history.
With that basket, James passed Kobe Bryant for the third-most points in NBA history. After the game, he expressed his gratitude for Bryant — from when Kobe gifted him shoes as a high schooler to when they played together on the USA Olympic team.
“It’s just surreal,” James said.