Editor’s note: This is the Wednesday, February 8, edition of the “Game Day with Kevin Modesti” newsletter. To receive the newsletter in your inbox, sign up here.
Good morning. LeBron James’ accomplishment in last night’s Lakers game is one for the history books. But first, it’s one for the newspapers and the DVRs.
There are other, perhaps more perishable sports headlines:
- The Clippers are climbing in the Western Conference and showing signs of being championship contenders.
- The Kings come back from the All-Star break one point out of first place in the Pacific Division but with something to prove.
- The Ducks have four victories in their past five games after winning in Chicago on Frank Vatrano’s overtime goal.
- The countdown to spring training, starting in a week, continues with analysis of the starting rotations of the Dodgers and the Angels.
- Check your local Southern California News Group paper for high school basketball playoff news, including wild-card games last night and first-round games tonight.
Readers will be setting aside today’s papers, wherever we keep our memories, to savor coverage of LeBron breaking fellow Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record with a 14-foot, stepback jumpshot late in the third quarter of a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The SCNG papers mark the event on page A1 with a photo and headline: “KING HAS SCORING CROWN.” That’s above coverage of President Biden’s State of the Union speech. The sports section’s headline is simply “HAIL THE KING.”
Our competition, the Los Angeles Times, also played off the player’s nickname – King James, or just the King – with a headline reading, “IT’S HIS THRONE.”
That was the theme on the Lakers broadcasts, too.
On the radio, John Ireland called the shot this way: “LeBron one-on-one against Kenrich Williams, backing him in. Turns, shoots – scores! There it is! All hail the new king…
Read the full article here
