All of the legends of the NBA tend to have a signature shot. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s fadeaway, Tim Duncan’s bank shot, the greats all tend to have that one move they are most known for. But when thinking about Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, one doesn’t immediately come to mind.
Even though he will soon become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron, much like another Lakers legend Magic Johnson, was always lauded for his passing and playmaking ability even though he was more than capable of putting the ball in the basket any number of ways.
But in terms of that signature shot, what is likely to be immortalized on a statue one day, even James himself was unsure what the answer was when asked about it in an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. But LeBron eventually figured out that the tomahawk dunk is that signature shot he’s known for and reflected on breaking it out on national TV while still in high school:
“I don’t know brrcause it’s not like I have a signature one-legged Dirk fadeaway, or a patented Michael Jordan fadeaway, or a Kareem skyhook, or a Dream Shake. I’ve been able to do things that just are not a signature. I think the only signature thing that people always talk about is my signature tomahawk dunk in transition. People always kinda talk about that’s the signature. Even one of my teammates now today, Lonnie Walker, always talks about the LeBron signature tomahawk dunk and that’s been pretty cool. And that came out of nowhere too. My brother Brandon Weems, who’s now in the front office with the Cavs, he got a steal vs. Oak Hill my senior year and threw it to me and on national television I was just living in the moment and it became a signature of mine.”
James flying through the air with that right arm stretched out is undoubtedly the image most will have in their head when thinking about the all-time great. He memorably threw one down in his first career NBA game, and also in his Lakers debut. Even now in Year 20, he still breaks it out from time to time and it always brings the house down.
LeBron has put many players on a poster with that dunk throughout his career and he continues to bring Lakers fans to their feet with it almost on a nightly basis.
LeBron James names Kevin Durant as most likely to break scoring record after him
James will soon be surpassing another Lakers legend in Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. But once that happens, the chase to pass LeBron will begin and the Lakers star already has an idea of who could do it.
While LeBron mentioned the likes of Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the first name that came to mind is Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, who is already in the top 15 all-time. Durant’s ability to score at every level makes him a prime candidate if he is able to stay healthy in the coming years.
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