It was less than a month ago that LeBron James became the 2nd player in NBA history to pass the 38,000 point mark and now, even more quickly than most analysts and fans alike expected, he’s added what might be his most prestigious and sure to be long-lived record yet — namely, LeBron James has broken the NBA all-time scoring record, surpassing a record that NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly 40 years.
King James secured the NBA all-time scoring crown with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter of the LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game, draining a fadeaway jumper from the foul line. LeBron, flexing his once trademark headband for the first time since 2015, needed 36 points to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record and he did it — scoring 38 points overall, with 13-20 shots made from the field, including 4 three-pointers, 8 out of 10 free throws, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals on the night.
Though LeBron started off slow, with OKC guarding him tightly and making him miss his first couple of shots from the floor, the Chosen One soon found a rhythm, nailing a three-pointer and going on to score 20 points in the first half.
The game was paused during the record-breaking basket by officials, with LeBron’s family joining him to congratulate and celebrate at center court along with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar himself — who actually raised the record-setting basketball in the air and handed it off to LeBron in ceremonious fashion.
โI just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind,” James said during the celebration.
After asking the crowd to give Abdul-Jabbar a standing ovation, James continued, “Everybody thatโs ever been a part of this run with me the last โฆ 20-plus years, I just want to say I thank you so much, because I wouldnโt be me without yโall.โ
Despite the supreme accolade, the Lakers fell to the Thunder by a final score of 133-130.
As of this writing, James now has 38,390 points to Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387. The 38-year-old James was able to achieve the scoring feat in more than 100 fewer games than Jabbar, 1410 to Jabbar’s 1560.
What do you think of the fact that LeBron James has broken the NBA all-time scoring record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 39-year record? Is LeBron James the greatest basketball player of all-time with this new accolade taken into consideration? Let us know in the comments. Also, our condolences to any fans who dropped egregious money on tickets to the Bucks vs. Lakers in LA on Thursday.
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