LeBron James quotes 'The Godfather' 8 years after struggling to remember his favorite scene from Al Pacino starrer

LeBron James has been catching up on classics as the NBA offseason winds down. This time, he reminisced on an all-time cult favorite, “The Godfather,” following years of struggling to remember his favorite scene in the movie.

On Monday morning, James took to social media to share a clip from “The Godfather,” posting one of its most iconic quotes.

“But I have selfish reasons,” James quoted in his Instagram story.

The quote was uttered by Marlon Brando, who played Don Vito Corleone in director Francis Ford Coppola's film. “The Godfather” is considered to be one of the most quotable movies ever. Some even regard it as the best movie ever created.

James has been quoted to have drawn inspiration from the “The Godfather” movies before. Before Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, James reportedly watched “The Godfather 2,” per ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

However, when the former Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was asked about his favorite scene, moment, phrase or quote, he could not recall any.

“There’s too many different phrases, too many different lines in that movie to categorize one. … Each movie is nine hours long, what do you want me to do? I’ll let you pick one, and I’ll roll with it,” he said in Game 5’s postgame press conference.

“The Godfather” was first released in 1972, grossing over $270 million worldwide. Its second installment came in 1974 before the final one went to cinemas in 1990. The series had superstar Al Pacino play the role of Don Corleone's son, Michael. It was inspired by the novel of the same name written by Mario Puzo.

Whether he truly watched it or not, James went on to win games 5, 6 and 7 for the Cavaliers against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 NBA championship, which was his third in his current four-championship collection.

LeBron James sets sights on NBA records next year

LeBron James’ legacy has been established, but his achievements will continue to grow as he signed a new two-year contract with the Lakers in the offseason, allowing him to tie the NBA record for most seasons played at 22.

Once he suits up for their first game next season, James will join Vince Carter as the only player to play 22 seasons in the NBA. James also has a chance to break this record if he opts into his player option in 2025 for his 23rd NBA season.

LeBron will also make history next season once he plays alongside his son, Bronny, who was picked 55th overall by the LA Lakers in the 2024 draft. The two will be the first-ever father-son duo in NBA history.

Even at 39, LeBron James is expected to lead the Lakers in 2024-25 after averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists last year.