LeBron James further etched his name in basketball folklore as he became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,390 career points.
What a night.#ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/hsvuOeiNgv
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
The four-time NBA Champion was visibly emotional as his stepback jumper late in the third quarter meant he was the outright owner of the prestigious honour.
“The King wears the crown!” pic.twitter.com/k9pqmYeoeT
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 8, 2023
Although the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated 133-130 by the Oklahoma City Thunder at the fully-packed Crypto.com Arena, he finished the game with 38 points [his 22nd 30-point or more game this season], seven rebounds, and three assists, while scoring four of his six 3-point attempts and shooting 13 of 20 from the field.
Coming into the game against the Thunder, the 38-year-old needed just 36 points to surpass Los Angeles Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Kareem “The Captain” Abdul-Jabbar, who had 38,387 career points in 1560 games across 20 seasons in the NBA.
His record-breaking feat is very impressive, as he achieved it in a mammoth 150 games less than Abdul-Jabbar, who had held the record since April 1984, when he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain’s career points in a game against the Utah Jazz.
The star-studded crowd, which included Abdul-Jabbar and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, was in awe of his greatness as the 20-year veteran achieved what many had thought was almost impossible.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers star was allowed to receive all the honour and love from the fans as the game was stopped for about 10 minutes, with him hugging his family and participating in a short ceremony with Silver and Abdul-Jabbar.
Also, in attendance were James’ mother, Mrs. Glorie Maria James, Savannah James (his wife), and his three children [Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri], as they watched their father seal basketball immortality from the courtside while anticipating every shot he made.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 8, 2023
The leader of the “James” dynasty did not disappoint as he rushed to 20 points in the first half, making his presence known very early in the tie with the waves of offensive superiority that have been evident since he came into the league in 2003. He decimated the longstanding record with 16 points in the third quarter and added two more in the fourth.
”I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem means so much to me, it’s very humbling,” James said.
“To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, family, my mother, man everybody that’s been a part of this ride with me for the last 20+ years, I just wanted to say thank you so much, because I wouldn’t be me without y’all.
He added: “All your passion, all your sacrifices, helping me get to this point. And to the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, I 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 dreamt this even better than what it is tonight, so f**k man, thank you guys!”
James has played 44 games this season, and he is averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7 assists in 36.4 minutes per game, as he and the Lakers continue their push for a play-off spot.
The most points. Ever.#ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/RHvGfVThLv
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
