Before and after smartphones: Iconic NBA moments 25 years apart show fans captivated by Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Shot’ for the Chicago Bulls and thousands watching LeBron James’ record-breaking basket through a lens
It was a moment in time that every single basketball fan in the world wanted to capture.
LA Lakers star LeBron James entered the stage needing 36 points against Oklahoma City Thunder to overtake the NBA all-time scoring record of 38,387 – which was set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1984.
And as ‘The King’ lined up to take a history-making shot, thousands of fans gripped hold of their phones to ensure they recorded such a monumental moment.
History-maker James did not disappoint. And as time stood still, fans watched the ball perfectly drop into the hoop through a lens.
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The iconic image – which has now been cemented in history – could not be more different than Michael Jordan’s ‘Last Shot’ for the Chicago Bulls 25 years ago.
NBA fans were desperate to capture the moment that LeBron James broke the NBA all-time scoring record with their smartphones
The photo of James could not be Michael Jordan’s historic Chicago Bulls basket 25 years ago
While you have to squint to be able to find just one fan not filming James, Jordan’s famous shot was savoured by those in the moment.
Jordan’s shot is just as historic in NBA with the basketball legend scoring a 20-footer to give the Bulls an 87-86 lead over Utah Jazz with 5.2 seconds left of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA finals.
It was a shot that ultimately became the championship-winning basket and led the Bulls to their sixth ring in eight years before Jordan retired from the game. He would later return to basketball but not with the Bulls.
The photo captured of Jordan releasing the ball with desperate fans in the background has become one of the most recognised images in basketball.
Pre-smartphones, not one fan is behind a screen. Instead, hundreds of different emotions can be seen with each face telling a different story.
The comparison of the pictures shows just how much things have changed across 25 years.
However, the beauty of smartphones is that fans across the world can now watch James’ iconic moment from thousands of different angles.
Following the record-breaking shot, James walked away with his hands high in the air before he was mobbed by teammates and eventually his sons, Bronny and Bryce, along with wife, Savannah.
The game between the Lakers and OKC was even stopped in order to recognise James’ sensational achievement.
LA Lakers star James became the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer on Tuesday night
James broke NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record which had stood since 1984
