A seat with basketball royalty.
One young fan ended up with the best seat in the house when she was seated next to LeBron James during the Lakers game on Saturday night.
James had been ruled out of Los Angeles’ game against the Warriors due to an ankle injury. The NBA’s all-time scoring leader casually malingered down the Chase Center sideline, sitting in an open seat at the end of the Lakers bench beside the 12-year-old fan.
The stunned fan, whose name is Gaia, became starstruck as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped when James, wearing a bright green beanie, was seated next to her.
Seemingly unable to control her excitement, the star-struck fan covered her mouth and had to look away from James.
I’m not as tall as him, obviously, so I could only see his shoes,” Gaia told ESPN, still sitting next to James on the sidelines. “When I looked up, I see Lebron James, and what’s going through my mind is just like ‘oh my god. The greatest player of all time in basketball is sitting next to me.”
When asked if she had any words with Akron, Ohio native, she said she was told not to interact with the players and didn’t want to bother him.
Gaia revealed that she had asked for the tickets three months prior in hopes of seeing James break the all-time scoring record, which he accomplished on Feb. 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
When Gaia found out James would be sitting out because of an ankle injury, she was “sad” and didn’t know if the superstar was traveling with the team.
Though the young fan didn’t see James’ skills on the court, she’ll cherish this experience for the rest of her life.
“I just freak out completely, thinking ‘Oh my goodness, this is the best moment of my life,” Gaia said.
Gaia ultimately snapped a picture with James after the game as the Lakers defeated the Warriors 109-103.