A new #1 scoring king has been crowned
What was once thought to be one of the unbreakable records in all of sports has finally been broken. Lebron James, the man who rarely was appreciated as a scorer unlike other players he matched up with such as Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
In his 20th season, at 38 years still playing at a peak level offensively, it seemed only a matter of time that he would break the record. Still as the games went on and Lebron inched closer and closer to the record it was a surreal feeling that the passing of the torch from the great Kareem Abdul-Jabber to Lebron would actually happen. Then on that fateful Tuesday night with Lebron just 36 points from the record, I like many other NBA fans felt that were about to witness history. The crowd at the Crypto.com arena and basketball fans everywhere were waiting for the moment and Lebron did not disappoint as he hit the history-making shot late in 3rd quarter. Beautifully poetic was the fact that Kareem was there to honor Lebron as well as allowing fans to appreciate the man who had held the record for nearly 39 years.
At this point in Lebron's illustrious many have opinions on what this accomplishment means for him. Some would say he is the G.O.A.T, others would say he has etched his name in history as the greatest scorer of all time. I feel that comparisons many times are thief of joy and don't allow one to appreciate what is witnessed. Regardless of your opinion of who is the best we have ever seen the fact that we are able to witness a level of longevity from a player who had the pressure to be great from day one speaks volumes. Along with the fact that his resume is as complete as it is through 20 seasons yet he appears to have more to add before he calls it a career could put his career in an even more unique position.
Breaking down a wild trade deadline
Feb 9th marked the end of one the craziest trade deadlines in NBA history with drama on full display as some moves were very unexpected. The two biggest moves in the league involved both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving which has basically dismantled Brooklyn's title hopes this season. Irving requested a trade just a couple days before the deadline and soon after had his request granted despite not going to his #1 choice which was the Los Angeles Lakers. He instead paired up with another superstar in Luka Doncic forming one of the most potent backcourts in NBA history.
Soon after the Irving trade there was speculation on what Durant might do but no official word from was given. Then early Thursday morning, a shocking report was dropped as it was announced that Durant would be traded to the Suns for a haul of first round picks along with Mikal Brides and Cam Johnson. The move instantly turns the Suns into a super team and arguably a title favorite as Durant pairs up with Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton.
Another anticipated move was from the Lakers had they looked to make moves to bolster their roster around Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The likely trade candidate was Russell Westbrook as his lack of fit with the roster along with his bloated expiring contact made a move necessary but challenging. Fortunately for the Lakers a blockbuster trade was able to be made sending Russell Westbrook to the the Jazz in exchange for Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. The Lakers were also able to reacquire D'Angelo Russell as part of a 3-team trade eight player trade deal. In remains to be seen how far the move can progress the team considering their championship aspirations but it appears to be a step in the right direction.
Several other contending teams made moves to bolster their roster for the stretch run as the Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors, Bucks, Grizzlies, and Clippers all made solid impactful moves. The most talked about move was easily the Warriors trade for Gary Payton II as there was controversy due to his failed physical and the trade possibly getting rescinded because of it. The trade was eventually accepted in a move that sent the Warriors #2 overall pick in James Wiseman to the pistons. The best move by a contender was the Bucks move to acquire a solid wing player in Jae Crowder who could possibly fill the role that PJ Tucker filled when they won a championship in 2021.
Which team's lack of moves at the trade deadline were the most surprising?
There were 3 teams that made no moves at the trade deadline, those 3 teams were the Cavaliers, Bulls, and Wizards. Although there were moves up until the very end of the 3pm deadline on Feb 9th the team that surprised me with their lack of aggression was by the Bulls as there were reports of possible moving their two stars in Zach Lavine and Demar Derozan. The surprise comes from the fact that despite their talent they are arguably the most disappointing team with them currently sitting outside the play-in tournament. At this point. the Bulls are likely delaying the inevitable as the coming offseason could have their front office considering major changes due to the team's lack of success.
Game of the week- De'Aaron Fox drops a game high 36 points, Kings defeat the Mavericks in OT despite Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combining for 55 in their first game together.
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