On the night of 02/07/2023, we witnessed the difference between history in the making and the making of history. We, the culture, watched Lebron James become the All-Time Scorer in the NBA, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,388 points (these points do not include points received during playoff seasons).
The crowd cheered every time Lebron had the basketball in his hand. Everyone in the stands and watching at home understood Lebron's assignment. If you did not know the assignment and were watching for entertainment, the NBA reminded you of the assignment by placing a "Lebron Score Tracker" at the top right-hand of the tv screen. We all felt the missed shots or the reminder that this was a game when an Oklahoma City Thunder player blocked shots by Lebron.
Watching these moments, I wondered if he would score all 36 points tonight during this game. After returning from the commercial break, we hear James ask his sons how he should do it "score 8 points this quarter and 8 points next quarter." But "With 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, James sanks a fadeaway jumper from the left elbow – scoring his 36th point of the game and 38,388th of his career" (Deb, 2023). The crowd went crazy. I went crazy and maybe shed a "glory tear."
The announcer yells "Lebron stands alone," and for a moment, he does. During his speech and his walkthrough, he thanked his village, family, friends, and fans. Also he repeatedly tells people he loves them, and at that moment, history is made. Black History.
