LeBron passes Kareem as NBA all-time scoring leader

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has been thriving under formidable pressure for his entire adult life. An arena packed with celebrities, his entire family and thousands of raucous Lakers fans demanding to see a slice of NBA history was nothing the King couldn’t handle.

James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time) in an arena filled with stars and rocked by eager fans anticipating a crowning moment in his 20-year career.

“I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about,” James said.

The crowd roared with every point while he rolled toward the mark held since April 1984 by Abdul-Jabbar, who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Los Angeles bench. James’ mother, wife and three children also watched from courtside amid the thousands who rose in waves of anticipation nearly every time

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

At the rate his career progressed at the NBL Australia, superboy Kai made not a giant leap but a quiet transformation.

His Adelaide 36ers mentor CJ Bruton did not give him enough playing time in two seasons except in the few late games when the 36ers were trying to survive getting eliminated.

I am wondering how Bruton became a basketball strategist and head coach.

From the performance of the ballclub in the two seasons that Kai suited up, you can judge that Bruton was not a first-rate bench grandmaster.

For one thing, he failed to exploit Sotto’s towering 7’3” prominence to the hilt. Sotto could have done more and achieved more for Adelaide but he was prevented from doing so because his coach did not give him enough minutes to prove his worth.

I kept asking myself: If I were the bench tactician, I should be giving Sotto at least six minutes every quarter because his stratospheric height gives my team a big edge in rebounding, offensive scoring and defense.

But no, Bruton gave Sotto a a player who has been even better than anyone could have expected two decades ago when the kid from Akron, Ohio, reached the NBA.

James touched the ball.

With a nimble stepback jumper late in the third quarter, James got the 36 points necessary to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s record 38,387 points. And a crowd that had roared for his every basket went crazy yet again.

“The expectations were all the way out to Pluto, and he went ahead and created his own galaxy,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said before the game.

Thunder got rolling. The fans then stood when he touched the ball on the Lakers’ opening possession, and they groaned when he missed his first two shots and elected to pass.

Each Lakers possession seemed weighted with anticipation, and James has always thrived under such pressure: He hit a 3-pointer with 7:06 left in the first quarter for his first bucket, and he kept playing after getting hit in the face by

With four championship rings and nearly every other honor available to a basketball player, the 38-year-old James closed in on this next moment in history with the confidence of FLEBRON, P10

The crowd was in its seats far earlier than normal in Los Angeles, and James got numerous ovations before the Lakers and the Oklahoma City

Superboy Kai

cold shoulder as if to tell him that he is not yet prepared to take on the big boys in the league.

Kai’s skills were undermined by his coach Bruton who appears not happy to have him in the line up.

Short of calling him prejudiced against our countryman, Bruton would not even deserve an offer to coach in our play for pay league.

But, t’was a good thing Sotto did not remain idle even if he failed in his quest for a draft in the 2022 NBA lottery.

Kai needs to be proactive in his consciousness and physically active and prepared for a bigger assignment.

Now that he is being written to be joining the Japan B League where most of Pinoy talented cagers have been pirated and continued to be poached, Sotto may have just been freed from a useless contract with Adelaide.

Anyway, I would assume that signing up with a Japanese ballclub might be the timing Sotto needs to showcase his worth and value as a slotman.

I’m quite certain he will not be used as a reserve player and ride the bench as Bruton treated him.

Of course, it is up to super- boy Kai to let his Japanese management and fans of the Japan B League rate his performance.

Quality time is what Kai deserves to get.

But I pop this question: Why is it that no PBA club seems to be interested in giving Kai an offer sheet?

Is Kai’s compensation too high to reach and afford?

Or do the PBA teams value Sotto so low that they do not believe he could help win championships? (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES