J-Speaks: Scoring History in Charlotte, NC

On Wednesday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, history was made scoring wise. A four-time league MVP and perennial All-Star tied the mark of Hall of Famer and owner of the opponent, while that opponent’s lead guard became the top scorer in franchise history. 

Four-time league MVP of the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James scored 41 points with 10 rebounds, and eight assists in leading his team to a 118-105 at the Charlotte Hornets (34-42) on Wednesday night, making history yet again. 

The 33-year-old Akron, OH native who reached double-figures in scoring in the second quarter on an alley-oop dunk off a J.R. Smith pass matched the 17-year mark by “His Airness” and Hornets owner Michael Jordan for scoring 10 points or more for the 866^th time.  

The 14-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion, who started this streak on Jan. 6, 2007 in his first go around with the Cavs (44-30) can break the tie Friday night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

“It just means I’ve kept my body in tune. In shape throughout all these years, all these games, 866,” James, who scored 40-plus points for the third time this season said to FOX Sports Ohio’s Allie Clifton after the win. 

“So anytime I’m in the same conversation with Mike and other great guys, lets me know I’m doing the right thing, and hopefully I can try to continue that.” 

“So, to all my teammates over the 866 games, my coaches. Everyday they’ve given me the opportunity to do that. So, it’s just very humbling.” 

That was not the only new scoring mark registered on this night. Hornets All-Star lead guard Kemba Walker, who scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter surpassed current color analyst for FOX Sports Southeast Wardell Stephen “Dell” Curry as the all-time franchise career scoring leader with 9,841 points. 

A reverse layup with 20 seconds remaining by the seven-year veteran out of the University of Connecticut broke Curry’s mark of 9,839 points. 

Walker also set a new franchise record with 44^th consecutive made free throw, which also brought his career total to 1,999 foul shots made, breaking Gerald Wallace’s franchise mark of 1,998.  

Jordan, who was not in attendance for the game congratulated Walker on becoming the all-time leading scorer in Hornets franchise history saying, “Becoming a franchise’s all-time leading scorer is a big accomplishment and it’s a testament to his hard work, dedication and passion for the game of basketball.” 

“He exemplifies what it means to be a Hornet.” 

To put into perspective the history that the Bronx, NY native made on Wednesday night, aside from the scoring Curry did in his career with the Hornets, the next highest scorer in franchise history after him is Gerald Wallace at 7,437. Next to him is Larry Johnson at 7,405, followed by former All-Star Glen Rice (5,561) and Tyrone Curtis “Muggsy” Bogues (5,531). 

As play-by-play man Eric Collins put it when Walker made history, “The ‘Queen City’ has a new king.” 

“He would have want to done it in a win, but this takes nothing away from the greatness of Kemba Walker.”

Curry followed that by saying after the final buzzer as Walker was greeted by the entire Cavs team, first by James who gave him a big hug, “It’s perfect. I mean, you love done to win the win the game obviously, but what an ending. What an ending to the game.”

“Couldn’t be happier for that young man. Great person. Wonderful character and his teammates absolutely love him. We do to.” 

Despite the loss, and another season where the Hornets will not be in the playoffs, this was a special moment for a player who near the start of February the Hornets had on the trading block. 

While that might affect some players in a negative way from demanding to be shipped out, Walker instead stayed the course and controlled what he could control and that was his play on the court, which has been exceptional this season. 

He displayed those emotions with tears as the Spectrum Center crowd saluted him with a standing ovation at the end of the game for etching his name atop the Hornets all-time scoring mark. 

“I’m not supposed to be here,” the 6-foot-1, 184-pound two-time All-Star, whose mother Andrea Walker was in attendance for her son’s proud moment said to FOX Sports Southeast’s Stephanie Ready after the game. “I’m not supposed to be hear man. A lot of people where I’m from don’t make it and through my Lord and Savior, my family, a lot of hard work. It’s been a long ride, but this is a huge accomplishment. I’m excited. I wish it was a better game. I wish I would’ve played a little bit better, but great accomplishment.” 

While reaching this great milestone was a special moment for Walker, he had hoped to not only accomplished it in a victory, but that the Hornets were in a serious battle to make the playoffs.

This is a player while at UConn had a lot of success, including winning a national championship in 2011, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. In his time with the Hornets, formally the Bobcats he has only been to the NBA playoffs twice and both of those were first-round exits, with the most recent coming in 2016 when the Hornets lost in seven games versus the Miami Heat. 

No one understands that better than James. When he entered the NBA as mentioned earlier 15 seasons back, he had all the pressure and the hype to not only bring the Cavaliers back to prominence in terms of being a playoff perennial but help them become a championship contender. It was through hard work, dedication, and perseverance that he was able to come close in his first stint with the Cavs. He eventually got over the hump leading the Miami Heat to four consecutive Finals appearances and winning back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013 with the help of future Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. 

So, it is no surprise that he, the rest of his Cavs teammates and coaching staff after the game went over to Walker and showed him some love on him becoming the all-time leading scorer in Hornets franchise history. 

“I told him I know he wants to do bigger things with this franchise and we saw him quoted the other day saying he’s tired of missing the playoffs,” James said to Clifton about Walker’s desire to lead his team into the postseason on a yearly basis. 

“I know the kind of competitor that he is and being an All-Star with him the past few years I understood that. But moments like this you can never take for granted, no matter what’s going on. For him to be the all-time leading scorer in a franchise’s history that’s a pretty remarkable feet.” 

On Wednesday night, Mar. 28, 2018 at Spectrum Center, the crowd of 19,474 saw LeBron James tied Michael Jordan for the most consecutive games scoring in double-figures at 866 games in a row. This was also the night that Kemba Walker became the all-time scoring leader in Charlotte Hornets franchise history.

What was also witnessed on this night is two of the most competitive individuals with James focused on leading the Cavs to their fourth consecutive appearance in The Finals, while Walker was trying to get keep the Hornets slim playoff hopes alive. 

While one dream of reaching the postseason was dashed in Walker’s, James’ dream of leading the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Cavaliers back to The Finals is still alive, which is all the motivation, along with his love for the game and for his wife and three children is all he needs. 

“I don’t need no motivation,” James said to Clifton. “My motivation is the love of the game. I don’t need no motivation versus any past, present, or future players. My love for the game, what I play for. For my family. I write it on my shoes every day. That’s my motivation.”

Everyone that is a part of the Hornets from the fans, to his teammates, coaching staff and even the broadcast team of Collins, Curry and Ready know and understand how much Walker wants to see the team succeed, and while it has been a long and hard slog to reach that mark, he has continued to put on display from practice to game-time that grit and determination to push through that adversity, which has endeared him to the entire community. 

“I want to be as good as I can,” Walker said to Ready. “They usually say as you get older, you can’t get better, but that’s not true. I’m living proof. I try to work hard each, and every day to become a better player. There’s always doubts about me, and I always want to prove people wrong. So, that’s what I try to do.”

He added, “Anything’s possible. I mean if I can do it, anybody can. Through hard work. Through dedication. You got to push yourself each, and every day for what you want and it’s possible that it will come true.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 3/28/18 7 p.m. contest Cleveland Cavaliers versus Charlotte Hornets on FOX Sports Southeast with Eric Collins, Dell Curry and Stephanie Ready; 3/28/18 9:30 p.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia with Matt Winer, Greg Anthony, and Gary Payton; www.nba.com/games/20180328/CLECHA#/recap; www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/id/400975862; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemba_Walker; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Curry; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Charlotte_Hornets_seasons; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggsy_Bogues.