LeBron James Surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Become NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer
LeBron James scored his 38,388th career point in the NBA on Tuesday to become the NBA’s leading scorer of all time, ahead of Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
James made this historic feat with a fadeaway mid-range jumper in the third quarter at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, exceeding Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points which held the record for 38 years.
After missing his first two shots of the game, James made a 3-pointer at 7:05 of the first quarter. He took an elbow to the eye from Josh Giddey while on a driving layup but stayed in the game.
He exited the first quarter a few minutes later with 8 points. James had 12 second-quarter points from a combination of 3s and free throws. And then he pursued the record with great zeal in a 16-point third quarter.
38,388 POINTS
LeBron James hits the fadeaway jumper to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! #ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/P5LyTZAZn3
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
Those who witnessed this record-setting game at the Lakers’ home arena were his mom, wife, and kids, who came onto the court to celebrate with him.
The Lakers also played a tribute video, and the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, congratulated him.
“Congratulations LeBron. You are the NBA’s all-time highest scorer,” said Silver. Abdul-Jabbar, who sat courtside and clapped with every point James scored, was also on hand to present James with the game ball.
The King is a record-breaker
Abdul-Jabbar told NBA reporter Marc Stein before James broke the record that he was “happy to see it happen.”
He said, “I see records as human achievements, not just personal ones. If someone can do something that has never been done, everyone else has a shot at doing it.”
“It’s a source of inspiration and hope. Everyone wins when a record is broken If LeBron breaks mins, I’ll be right there cheering him on,” he added.
This moment between Kareem and LeBron is something special. pic.twitter.com/NygObZsn7p
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 8, 2023
Earlier in the season, James became only the second NBA player to record over 38,000 career points, alongside Abdul-Jabbar, 75. He told reporters then that he was “appreciative of the chance to play this game at the highest level.”
“I love the game of basketball, and being in the NBA and inspiring many generations is a big deal,” James continued.
Besides James’ family, the big moment was also witnessed by his good friends Dwayne Wade, Rich Paul, and Maverick Carter.
Among the luminaries were Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, Jay-Z, Magic Johnson, LL Cool J, Floyd Mayweather, Nike founder Phil Knight, and Bad Bunny.
LeBron James, the Persistent Scorer
Over many years, much debate has been about whether James is a natural scorer. However, he has proved time and over to be a ruthless scorer. But he doesn’t force his scoring, making this record all the more incredible.
James’ sensational talent, longevity, consistency, and availability rise contributed to his rise to the top of the scoring chart. Much of which he has had from his high school days. sensational talent, longevity, consistency, and
He currently averages 27 points per game in his career. In addition, he has not scored below 25 points per game in a season besides his rookie season when he averaged 20.7 points.
He has adapted his game throughout his career to become proficient in 3-pointers and shots from mid-range and the rim.
James has a history of breaking records, including being the youngest player to 10,000 points in 2008, the youngest player to 20,000 points in 2013, and the 7th player in the history of the NBA to score 30,000 points in 2018.
LeBron James also became the first basketball player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points in assists and rebounds after the Lakers’ game against the Phoenix Suns in March 2022.
