The Lakers player surpassed Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points to leave it at 38,390
LeBron James is already a legend in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers player became the leading scorer in NBA history by surpassing the legendary goal of another legend like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James needed to add 36 points to beat Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points and he did it in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder to open the doors reserved for the legends of the best basketball league in the world.
The basket of baskets came with 10.9 seconds left in the third period. A medium-range launch that allowed him to take the record of 38,387, which had stood for decades, to second place in the rankings to elevate LeBron James to Olympus. A bursting Staples Center celebrated the basket with cries of “MVP” as the player raised his arms to the Los Angeles sky. Nothing, not even the defeat of the Lakers (130-133) stopped anyone from losing the smile of having experienced something historic.
The record stood at 38,390 points, although it will continue to grow with each game until it becomes almost unattainable. With his children, his mother, his wife, or even Ohio high school friends and classmates as exceptional witnesses, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presented him with a commemorative ball for a record that has lasted nearly 39 years since Wilt Chamberlain became the one in April 1984. was the one dethroned by Abdul-Jabbar. That transfer of power left LeBron unable to hold back tears of emotion at a unique moment.
At age 38, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers and the league’s highest benchmark in the 21st century has added this record to four NBA titles (2012, 2013, 2016, 2020) and four regular-season MVPs (2009 , 2010 , 2012 and 2013) he has accomplished in his two decades in the NBA.
In addition to being the all-time leading scorer, he is also fourth in assists and collects over ten thousand rebounds. As if that weren’t enough, James, at 38, has averaged 30 points per game this season, the third-highest average of his career, only below the 31.4 he drew when he was 21 and the 30 3 from last season.
James, four-time MVP of the season and nineteen-time All Star, needs 150 games and 3,705 minutes less than Abdul-Jabbar to surpass his scoring record. It’s true that Kareem, who dominated the paint, had a better shot (55.9% compared to LeBron’s 50.5%), but instead LeBron took advantage of the three-point line. Abdul-Jabbar made just 18 three-pointers in his entire career, scoring one, while James has added more than 6,500 points from outside the perimeter: 2,237 hits from 6,494 shots.
Far away is LeBron’s first basket in the NBA. It was on October 29, 2003, when he was just 18 years old, when he dribbled to the back line and got up from center area to comfortably score. “Welcome to the NBA,” the game commentator said at the time. That day, he recorded 25 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals.
Excited and aware of what the moment meant, LeBron wanted to remember the fans and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “Thank you so much to the believers of the Lakers, you are one of a kind. Being able to be here next to a greatness, a legend like Kareem, means a lot to me. Please give El Capitan a standing ovation,” the already immortal player asked.
The Lakers player also wanted words for his family: “To my wife, my daughter and my two sons, friends, colleagues, family, my mother… to everyone who has been a part of my career for over 20 years. I would like to thank you. I wouldn’t be who I am without you. All of your help, passion and sacrifice is what got me here. And he didn’t want to forget anyone in his thanks: “To the NBA, Adam Silver and the great David Stern, I also want to thank you for the opportunity to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed of. Never in a million years could I have imagined it better than it is now.”
This is “a record that has stood for almost 40 years and that many people thought would never be broken. LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Congratulations!” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said from center court.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
