Lakers’ LeBron James Sounds Off on Viral Michael Jordan Interaction

Getty Michael Jordan and LeBron James hug each other at the 2022 All-Star Game.

All-Star weekend was a success for Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James this year. Not only did he get to play in front of his hometown crowd of Cleveland, but he also hit the game-winning shot over Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine to improve to 5-0 as an All-Star captain.

The highlight of the weekend, though, was when LeBron shared an emotional moment with the one and only Michael Jordan. The Bulls legend, who was LBJ’s childhood idol, was the last player introduced during the halftime ceremony celebrating the best 75 players in NBA history. After the ceremony ended, LeBron went up to Jordan and the two icons shared an emphatic hug.

During his postgame media session with reporters, LeBron spoke about how meaningful his hug with Jordan was. The four-time MVP also admitted that his game-winning shot was inspired by MJ.

LeBron on Hugging Jordan

LeBron isn’t close friends with Jordan, who is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. However, you wouldn’t have known it by the way they embraced at the All-Star Game. The two champions hugged each other tightly and the interaction meant the world to LeBron.

“I did not want to lose the opportunity to shake the man’s hand that inspired me throughout my childhood,” LeBron said, via Elizabeth Karpen of the New York Post. “I haven’t had much dialogue with him in my 20 years or 19 years in this business, but part of me wouldn’t be here without MJ’s inspiration. I always wanted to be like him growing up.”

LeBron wore No. 23 in high school and the NBA because of Jordan, who won six championships, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs and 10 scoring titles with the Bulls. The Akron Hammer always wanted to be like His Airness growing up in Ohio and he paid homage to the Hall of Famer with his final shot of the All-Star Game.

LeBron on His Game-Winner: It Was Inspired by Jordan

Jordan hit so many fadeaway jumpers during his storied NBA career. LeBron, who watched Black Jesus make the fadeaway shot look so easy, hit a tough fadeaway over LaVine to give his team the win during the All-Star Game.

“It’s crazy that the game-winning shot tonight was a fadeaway, and it was inspired by MJ. The way he wore his shoes, the way he wore his uniform, I mean, all the way down to some of the cars that he drove, how much he inspired me,” LeBron said postgame, via Karpen. “I didn’t want to waste that opportunity because we’re just not in the same building a lot and haven’t been in the same building a lot throughout my career. It meant something to me.”

Jordan and LeBron have combined to win nine regular-season MVPs, 10 championships and 10 Finals MVPs. The latter passed the former on the NBA’s all-time scoring list in 2018-19 and will likely pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the No. 1 spot next season.

Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He’s first in NBA history in points per game and player efficiency rating and one of three players to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

Meanwhile, LeBron has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers. He’s fifth all-time in points per game, second all-time in player efficiency rating and the only player in NBA history to rank top-10 all-time in points and assists.