On Tuesday, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the most prolific scorer in National Basketball Association history, shattering a 39-year record that many in the sport thought would never be broken.
After sinking a 21-foot shot late in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers star eclipsed Abdul-lengthy Jabbar’s total of 38,387 points.
As the Crypto.com Arena erupted in wild celebration of James’ new record of 38,388 points, he tossed his arms up in relief. As play was paused to honor a legendary moment in NBA history, Abdul-Jabbar was among the first to applaud James.
“To be able to be in the presence of a legend and great as Kareem it means so much to me,” James told the crowd before thanking family, friends and fans.
“Everybody that’s ever been part of this run with me these last 20 years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all your help, all your passion and all your sacrifices to help me get to this point.”
James also paid tribute to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his predecessor, the late David Stern.
“Thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about, and I would never ever in a million years have dreamt this even better than what it is tonight,” James added before signing off with an F-bomb.
After a spectacular season in which he averaged 30 points per game for a struggling Lakers team, James entered Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma City needing only 36 points to overtake Abdul-Jabbar.
The 38-year-old took his time before charging towards his magic number, missing his first two tries before ultimately connecting on a three-pointer midway through the first quarter.
The four-time NBA champion went on to score eight points in the first quarter, leaving him 28 points behind when the second quarter began.
James accelerated the pace in the second quarter with 12 straight points before being subbed off with 5:34 remaining in the half, 16 points shy of the half-time record.
Midway through the third quarter, a pair of back-to-back three-pointers placed him only eight points away from the record, with 28 on the night, before a driving layup pulled him within six. Two more layups put him two points away from the record before converting his long-range attempt.
This season, James has worked hard to keep the hype around his record-breaking run to a minimum, claiming that his first objective is to help the Lakers regain their competitiveness. In recent days, though, he has been more open about the record, claiming last week that surpassing Abdul-mark Jabbar’s was equivalent to breaking baseball’s all-time home run record.
“I think it’s one of the greatest records in sports in general,” James said.
“I think it’s up there with the home run record in baseball. It’s one of those records that you just don’t ever see or think that would be broken.”
Many in the NBA agreed, believing that Abdul-Jabbar’s record was untouchable in the modern era.
“I think most of us back then thought that record would never be broken,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of Abdul-Jabbar’s record last weekend.
“So to see LeBron do it over 20 years is pretty remarkable and a testament to not only his ability but his durability.
“He’s just a machine. He’s healthy and a physical force night after night.”
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who coached James to two of his four NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, said he had always assumed Abdul-Jabbar’s record would never be beaten.
“I thought that would be untouchable,” Spoelstra told NBA.com before James’s record-breaking performance on Tuesday.
Tyronn Lue, James’s former coach at the Cleveland Cavaliers, believes the scoring record is the crowning achievement of his glittering career.
“This has to be No. 1, seeing how long Kareem has held this record (since 1984). I know LeBron has his championships and MVPs. But to be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, considering all the great players that have come through this game? That’s a big-time accomplishment,” Lue told NBA.com.
