""I always loved, and still love obviously, shooting him," Butler told ESPN. "He's always engaged. Some guys are only engaged when they have the ball. But if he's in the corner, if he has the ball, if he's on the bench, he's engaged in the game and you just kind of gravitate toward that. I think he also is one of those superstars that understands the moment.""
"Butler published an anthology of his work, "Courtside: 40 Years of NBA Photography," with me last year and chose a shot of James during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, soaring in Madison Square Garden to throw down a dunk against the New York Knicks for the cover. James has since bounced to Miami, back to Cleveland and now Los Angeles -- and Butler's camera has followed him."
"In this 23-photo gallery that ESPN curated to encapsulate some of James' biggest moments during his record-setting 23-year NBA career, two photos belong to Butler. One is from James' Heat days, when he slammed an alley-oop dunk over Jason Terry (see photo No. 10, below): "He always played well in Boston, and you just felt that coming. ... It was just one of those more memorable LeBron dunks, for sure," Butler said."
Nat Butler worked 40 years as an NBA photographer and frequently captured LeBron James in action. Butler described James as consistently engaged on and off the ball, making him a compelling photographic subject. Butler published the anthology Courtside: 40 Years of NBA Photography featuring a cover image of James dunking in Madison Square Garden during his first Cavaliers stint. Butler photographed James through his moves to Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles. Two of Butler's images appear in ESPN's 23-photo gallery of James' career, including an alley-oop over Jason Terry and a 2020 Lakers championship moment with James smoking a celebratory cigar.
Read at ESPN.com
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