LeBron James has edged ahead of the late Kobe Bryant into second place on the all-time list for NBA All-Star Game appearances.
The big, 6ft 9in LA Lakers power forward did it with his 16th appearance in Sunday’s All Star game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the All-Star record with 18.
His Team Le Bron squeezed home to an entertaining 157-155 win against Team Giannis in a match which honored the legendary Bryant.
Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash, along with seven others in Calabasas, California a fortnight ago
Le Bron also bettered Bryant’s all-time scoring mark
Last month, a day before Bryant’s tragic death, James had also moved past Bryant into third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
James said the presence of Bryant, a retired great of the Los Angeles Lakers, was strongly felt.
“We wouldn’t be All-Stars if we weren’t competitors,” he told a news conference.
“We all compete at the highest level. We try to put our respective teams in a position to win every night. So the guy’s definitely had that sense of pride, that sense of competitiveness throughout the All-Star Game.
“But you could definitely feel Bean’s presence just from the start. You could feel it every moment. This from the fans chanting his name to seeing his number (24) every time Giannis’ team run on the floor. He was definitely here.”
Leonard won new Kobe Bryant MVP Award
Kawhi Leonard claimed the NBA All-Star Game’s Kobe Bryant MVP Award after contributing 30 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Team LeBron.
The MVP award was renamed in honour of the Lakers late great, and Leonard paid a tribute to Bryant on receiving it.
He said: “It means a lot to me. Words can’t even explain what this means to me; to winning this the first Kobe Bryant MVP trophy.
“I want to thank Kobe for everything he done for me, all the long talks, the workouts, thank you.
“This one is for him.”
Magic Johnson lead 8-second moment of silence
Magic Johnson, another Lakers great of the past, led an eight-second moment of silence for Bryant. Then, as the lights went down at the United Center, he said: “We’ll never see another basketball player quite like Kobe. He scored 81 points in one game then scored 60 points in his last game. He also won five NBA championships.
“But what I’m really proud about when we think about Kobe Bryant is this. There are millions of people in Los Angeles that don’t have a home. Kobe was fighting to get those homes and shelters every single day. He was passionate about that.
“He was also passionate about being a great father, husband, and filmmaker. The young man won an Oscar. So we all are hurting. This is a tough time for the whole NBA family.”
???? Congrats to @KingJames of the @Lakers for moving up to 2nd on the all-time #NBAAllStar Game Appearances list with 16! pic.twitter.com/NcTWVWJiUc
— NBA (@NBA) February 17, 2020