After breaking Kareem Abdul-all-time Jabbar’s scoring record, LeBron James has confirmed his status as one of the most dominant NBA players in history.
With 10.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the 38-year-old broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points with a step-back fadeaway jumper from the foul line over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kenrich Williams.
However, while Abdul-Jabbar took 1,560 games to set his record, James did so in just over 1,400. Michael Jordan has the most points per game (30.1) in NBA history. James ranks fifth on the list with 27.1 points, just ahead of another active player, Kevin Durant (27.3).
After James’ record-breaking shot, the game was paused for an on-court ceremony with Abdul-Jabbar and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“I just wanted to say thank you to the Laker fans. “You guys are one-of-a-kind,” James remarked. “It’s very humbling to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem. “Please give the Captain a standing ovation.”
James then thanked his family and those who had helped him.
“I thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always wanted to do,” James said after finishing the night with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a 133-130 loss to the Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar, who held the record since April 1984, has stated that he is pleased with James’ progress. “I want [other players] to break my records because it is another benchmark of human progress,” he wrote in 2019. Every time an athlete demonstrates that a person is capable of more than we imagined, they inspire all of humanity to realize that they are capable of reaching further than they imagined possible.”
James’ march to the scoring record appeared to be almost predetermined. While still in high school, he received the media attention usually reserved for professional athletes and scored his first NBA points for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers when he was 18 years old (unlike James, Abdul-Jabbar played college basketball and did not score his first points in the league until he was 22). His ability to set scoring records has also been aided by his ability to avoid serious injuries; James has only missed significant playing time since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
But James is more than just a scorer; he has the fourth-most assists in NBA history and is known for his leadership abilities on the court. He is also a four-time NBA MVP who has won at least one championship with each of his three teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat.
In terms of the future, James has stated that he would like to play alongside his son, Bronny, who will not be eligible to join the NBA until at least 2024. If James’ current scoring rate continues, he will have surpassed 40,000 career points.
Official NBA records are based on regular-season performance. However, James also holds the record for combined regular-season and playoff points. In last season’s playoffs, he broke Kareem Abdul-record Jabbar’s 44,149 points.
