“Is it authentic? Money is not the issue…I don’t want to do it if it doesn’t feel authentic.”
— NBA star LeBron James in a 2007 Fortune cover story. Last night, James became the fastest player in NBA history to score 12,000 career points–at the ripe age of 24 years and 35 days. He eclipsed Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who held the record at 25 years and 220 days. In the Fortune story, James noted that he can easily “go out and sign a lot of endorsements and get checks.” But he’s picky about his partners—and that milestone he reached last night sure is good for Nike , Coca-Cola , Microsoft’s MSN, and State Farm Insurance. –Jessica Shambora