Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James has moved past Magic Johnson on the NBA’s all-time assists while playing against Milwaukee Bucks.
James claims he is happy to be in the conversation but do not compare himself with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaq O’Neal.
“To know that I’m in the conversation or about to get to a point that I’m breaking a record that he set for this franchise — and I’m not comparing myself to Magic with this franchise, what he did, sheesh.
“Him, [James] Worthy, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal], those guys are synonymous with this franchise. But it’s just pretty cool, always, when I’m able to see my name with some of the greats that have played this game,” James told media.
James said that being associated with Johnson — long considered one of the game’s flashiest passers — in an assist category is special.
“Listen, when you talk about just one-name guys when you’re talking about sports, you got Ali, Jordan, Magic. Bird,” James told media. “Those names are just synonymous with sports. Montana. Like, you know who we’re talking about.”
Johnson served as president of basketball operations for the Lakers when James signed with the team as a free agent in the summer of 2018. After a difficult 2018-19 season, in which the Lakers finished 10th in the Western Conference despite adding James to a group of young talent, Johnson abruptly resigned before the season finale.
James, on his barbershop-themed talk show, “The Shop,” later revealed how Johnson’s decision caught him off guard.
“It was just weird for him to just be like, ‘I’m out of here’ and not even have no like, ‘Hey Bron, kiss my ass. I’m out of here,'” James said on his show in May 2019. “I would’ve been OK with that. ‘Hey Bron, it’s Magic. Kiss my ass, I’m gone.’ Not even that.”
Johnson looked back at his Lakers exit as a guest on Shannon Sharpe’s show, “Club Shay Shay,” in October.
“I regret not calling LeBron to tell him I was stepping down,” Johnson said. “I really regretted that. I owed him that.”
