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Did LeBron James just end the GOAT debate? And I didn’t say this because the Lakers superstar surpassed Michael Jordan’s monumental record. But because the Akron Hammer sincerely opened up about his longing to match the Bulls legend’s particular mastery over the course of his long NBA career. Was he able to achieve it after grinding in the league for 22 seasons? Well, not quite exactly how he imagined himself to achieve it. But it was enough to prove the coaches wrong.

We are talking about Jordan’s signature shot, the mid-range jumpers. Out of those jumpers, a particular shot always stood out and that is the fadeaway jumpers. On Friday night, playing against the Hawks, James was chasing history. He was a 30-point game away from beating Air Jordan to become the leader of the most 30-point games scored in the league. Guess what? the 4x NBA Champ scored the 30th point with a fadeaway jumper from the baseline, donning the iconic #23 jersey.

Most importantly, the reporters, after the game, wouldn’t let this moment slip away. One of them asked LeBron James if he had incorporated the shot from Michael Jordan. The superstar, without any hesitation, admitted it but also revealed that he couldn’t perfect it. James said, “Yeah, for sure. He was more of a left-shoulder fadeaway guy. I kind of go the opposite way, but just two masters of the craft… watching MJ, you know, move the ball in the air, fading away, you know, but still being on balance.” 

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However, the superstar had a nagging problem trying to incorporate the shot into his arsenal, as he added, “Sometimes when you’re growing up, a lot of little league coaches… they hate that shot because you’re fading away from the basket and they don’t think you have a lot of balance.” However, the relentless MJ fan pursued it and we can even say that he perfectly incorporated it and defied his coaches.

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LeBron James and Stephen Curry break two records in two days

In fact, three records. Last night, LeBron James surpassed Dirk Nowitzki and reached the fourth spot for the all-time regular season games played with 1523 games. Other than that, he dropped a fadeaway jumper around the fifth-minute mark in the last quarter to score his 563rd 30-point game. One more than Michael Jordan.

What’s your perspective on:

Is LeBron's 30-point game record enough to crown him the true GOAT over Jordan?

Have an interesting take?

In the previous night, Stephen Curry had a free-flowing game. Whatever he touched turned into gold. Playing against a fully healthy Philly side, Curry dropped 30 points with 8-8 FG from the arc. Truly a nightmare for any opponents. Moreover, it wasn’t just another 30-point outing but a significant one that made a dent in the record books.

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Steph surpassed Jordan for most 30-point games by a guard after turning 35. While surpassing MJ is considered a yardstick more than topping a list, that’s when you realize the greatness of the legend. Nevertheless, we have one thing clear. LBJ is hungry and he is far from over. So, we can expect more coming from this 40-year-old man. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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Is LeBron's 30-point game record enough to crown him the true GOAT over Jordan?