Bench with the Kings of Basketball.
One young fan ended up with the best seat in the house when she sat next to LeBron James during a Lakers game Saturday night.
James was ruled out of the Los Angeles vs. Warriors game due to an ankle injury. The NBA scoring leader was casually strolling down the Chase Center line, perched in an open bench at the end of the Lakers bench next to the 12-year-old fan.
The stunned fan, named Gaia, became startled as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as James, in a bright green beanie, sat beside her.
Monday, February 13th
Monday, February 13th
Seemingly unable to control her excitement, the Starstruck Fan covered her mouth and was forced to look away from James.
“I’m not as tall as him, so I can only see his shoes,” Gaia told ESPN, still sitting next to James on the sidelines. “When I looked up, I saw LeBron James, and my mind was like, ‘Oh my God. The greatest basketball player ever sitting next to me.”
When asked if she had any words with the Akron, Ohio native, she said she was told not to interact with the players and didn’t want to upset him.
Jaya revealed that she ordered the tickets three months in advance in hopes of seeing James break the all-time scoring record, which he achieved on February 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
When Jaya found out James would be sitting out due to an ankle injury, she was “heartbroken” and didn’t know if the star was traveling with the squad.
Although the young fan did not see James’ skills on the court, she will cherish the experience for the rest of her life.
I was totally freaked out, thinking ‘oh my God, this is the best moment of my life,'” Jaya said.
Jaya eventually took a picture with James after the game as the Lakers defeated the Warriors 109-103.
This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission
