LeBron: Passing MJ ranks up there with title wins

LeBron James passes Michael Jordan for fourth on the all-time scoring list, finishing the game with 31 points, but the Lakers lose to the Nuggets. The NBA world reacted to the milestone.LeBron James has surpassed Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list, but there are more important matters at hand.Entering the Lakers' game against the Denver Nuggets trailing Jordan by 12 points, James tied Jordan at 32,292 career points with a fadeaway 19-footer midway through the second quarter, then passed him with an and-1 layup at the 5:38 mark.James sank the free throw to complete the three-point play and went on to finish the game with 31 points, putting him at 32,311 for his career. Wow man"I kind of take all accomplishments as they come, and anytime I'm in the breath of any of the greats and, obviously, MJ being the guy I looked up to my whole life, a guy I aspired to be when I was a kid and just, I think it's going to be pretty cool," James said at shootaround Wednesday morning."I don't know how I'll react in the moment, obviously, but I think at some point I'll be able to appreciate it, just knowing where I come from and knowing that it's so much bigger than just me."He reacted to the moment by hiding his face under a towel on the bench as he was swept up in emotion while the video board at Staples Center played a tribute highlighting the notable buckets of his storied career, such as his 10,000th point and 20,000th point."It was very emotional," he said. James, it should be noted, also reached the scoring mark on 1,240 fewer field goal attempts than Jordan.After passing Michael Jordan, LeBron James breaks down what MJ means to him, meeting him for the first time and how he hopes to "inspire the next kid."Lakers great and current president of basketball operations Magic Johnson tweeted his congratulations to James.Congratulations to @KingJames for passing Michael Jordan's 32,292 points to become fourth leading scorer of all-time!"Obviously, it's an incredible achievement," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said. "Getting into the top four, approaching three, he's going to pass three and probably get into the top two, it's crazy to really think about."James passed Andre Miller for 10th on the all-time assists list earlier this season, making him the only player in league history to rank in the top 10 in both points and assists.James reaching No. 4 in a Lakers uniform means that all of the top four scorers in NBA history played for the purple and gold at some point in their careers.