Passing Michael Jordan Ranks Up There with Title Wins - LeBrom James

Passing Michael Jordan Ranks Up There with Title Wins - LeBrom James By: Francis Joseph LeBron James says his first encounter with Michael Jordan was like meeting God. Now, he is a spot above him in the scoring heavens. James passed Jordan on Wednesday night to move into fourth place on the NBA's all-time points list. Entering the Lakers' game against the Denver Nuggets trailing Jordan by 12 points, James tied Jordan at 32,292 career points with a fadeaway 19-footer midway through the second quarter, then passed him with an and-1 layup at the 5:38 mark. James sank the free throw to complete the three-point play and went on to finish the game with 31 points, putting him at 32,311 for his career. The Lakers lost 115-99. "Of all the stuff I've done in my career, this ranks right up there at the top with winning a championship," James said. "For a kid from Akron, Ohio, that needed inspiration and needed some type of positive influence, MJ was that guy for me. I watched him from afar, wanted to be like MJ, wanted to shoot fadeaways like MJ, wanted to stick my tongue out on dunks like MJ, wanted to wear my sneakers like MJ. I wanted kids to look up to me at some point like MJ and it's just crazy, to be honest. It's beyond crazy."