Young fan star-struck when LeBron James sits next to her at Lakers game: 'This is like the best moment of my life'

Dan Treacy

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Young fan star-struck when LeBron James sits next to her at Lakers game: 'This is like the best moment of my life' image

Lakers star LeBron James didn't suit up against the Warriors on Saturday night, but he made a lifelong memory for a fan by simply sitting down.

The girl was star-struck when James sat down next to her at the end of the Lakers' bench. She instantly went into shock as the NBA's newly minted scoring champion took his seat.

ESPN's Lisa Salters caught up with the fan, who started the night disappointed and will end it on top of the world. 

"When I heard he had a foot injury, I was sad," she said, explaining that she was hoping James would have a chance to break the all-time scoring record against Golden State when she got the tickets three months ago.

When she looked up to see which towering figure sat down next to her, she said she thought, "the greatest player of all time in basketball is sitting next to me." 

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"I was just thinking, 'Oh, my goodness, this is the best night of my life,'" she said. 

Hilariously, the entire interview was conducted with James sitting right next to her. The all-time scoring leader appeared laser focused on the game, completely unaware of the person heaping praise on him. 

MORE: Sights and sounds from LeBron James' record-breaking night in LA

James hasn't played since breaking the record on Feb. 7. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported Saturday that James is "severely struggling" with a foot injury that could impact him for the rest of the season. 

NBA stars have drawn criticism for sitting out too often in recent years. After Heat forward Jimmy Butler disappointed a 12-year-old fan from Argentina by resting due to back tightness last month, he invited the fan back to another game and gave him the VIP treatment by bringing him onto the court.

Apparently, all James needs to do to leave fans with lasting memories is show up.

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.