LeBron James eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record near the end of the third quarter of his Los Angeles Lakers’ game against Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday (AEDT).
He passed Abdul-Jabbar’s regular season scoring mark of 38,387 career points.
His magic moment arrived a day after he declared himself to be the game’s GOAT.
“What I bring to the table as a basketball player … I feel like I’m the best basketball player that ever played the game,” he said. “That’s just my confidence, that’s just what I bring to the table, what I possess. But as far as if the scoring record gets me to another level, I don’t know.”
The achievement was heralded throughout the sports watching world while Abdul-Jabbar was on hand to present James with the game ball as the game was halted to celebrate the feat.
With a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James pushed his career total to 38,388 points and broke the record Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
James outstretched his arms, threw both hands in the air, then smiled.
Abdul-Jabbar rose from his seat and clapped. The game was stopped as some members of James’ family, including his wife, mother and his children, took the floor for a ceremony recognising the moment.
Abdul-Jabbar – one of many celebrities and sports stars who made sure they were there to see history – became the league’s all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984 and wound up retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points.
It was a record that some thought would last forever, with very few even coming close.
Karl Malone retired 1,459 points behind Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant was 4,744 points shy, and Michael Jordan was 6,095 points away.
James passed them all, then caught Abdul-Jabbar, too. He did it in his 20th season. Abdul-Jabbar also played 20 NBA seasons.
James then got on a microphone and said: “Everybody that has ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I want to say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all y’all. All y’all helped. All y’all’s passion and sacrifices helped me to get to this point.
“And to the NBA to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, thank you very much for allowing me to be a part of something I always dreamed about. I would never in a million years dreamt this to be even better than what it is tonight. So (expletive) man, thank you guys.”
The star-studded crowd included tennis legend John McEnroe, music stars Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Bad Bunny, actor Denzel Washington and former Lakers players Bob McAdoo and James Worthy, among others.
With skills of a point guard, the shooting prowess of a wing and the strength of a power forward, James entered Tuesday’s game averaging 30 points per game this season and needing 36 on the night to break the record.
James, 38, has averaged 27.2 points per game in his career while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14) and the Lakers (2018-present).
Not counted in his regular-season record total are James’ 7,631 playoff points, also the most by a player in NBA history. He has played in 266 career postseason games while winning four NBA championships.
Here’s how James was feted.
Reaction from social media and elsewhere has poured in after LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
This is what they said.
“I thought it (the record) had every chance of being broken. It just had to have someone that the offense focused on continually.
“LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game. And it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated.” –Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LA Lakers great.
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“Your sustained level of play for 20 years, reaching this pinnacle of scoring in basketball, it is unbelievable.
“Way down the road, when we’re reflecting back on our careers, we’ll be able to be at that level knowing what it was like to battle at the highest level.” — Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors guard.
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“It’s even funny to just even say that, you know coming from where you have come from, how hard you grinded for this long. It’s been an inspiration since day one.
“Much love and keep setting the bar high.” — Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets forward.
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“To be in a position to break one of the all-time records of most points ever scored, it’s quite remarkable. I think it’s such a testament to him. And he’s not just sort of at the end of his career just like hanging around to get that record. He’s still playing at an incredibly high level. I think it’s spectacular.” — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
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“Wow, never in my lifetime did I think I would see two NBA athletes score over 38,000 points! I still remember when my Showtime teammate, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, broke the record. It was an honour to be the guy to pass it to him and cement his legacy!” — Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson.
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“We gave the keys to the whole entire business to an 18-year-old kid and now he’s 38 years old and he’s still dominating. I don’t think we should be surprised. I think we should congratulate him and celebrate him as much as possible, continue to enjoy the shows that he puts on.” — Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
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“The most important individual record in the sport, a record that most people thought would never be broken.” — former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, now an analyst for TNT.
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“This record says a lot about who he is and how multifaceted he really is. He’s an elite calibre of player. He’s one of one. We hadn’t seen anything like him before, his size, his athleticism, his shooting capabilities, his playmaking capabilities. And he’s all about team. That’s the thing that shines through.” — Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
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“LeBron, he’s a confident man. He knows he’s a hell of a player. He knows what he’s accomplished. But he still has his humility. He hasn’t lost it.” — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
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