February 7, 2023 will now go down in sports history as the day Lebron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387, a record he held for thirty-eight, and became the all-time leading scorer of the NBA. Lebron James broke the record during the 133-130 loss to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder. He ended the game with 38 points, seven rebounds, and two assists over 33:57 of playing time.
Photo Cred: NBC Sports
The Crypo.com Arena in Los Angeles sold out. Among those in attendance other than famous celebrities like Denzel Washington. NBA greats such as Magic Johnson and the former holder, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Also in attendance were Lebron’s mother, wife Savannah, and kids Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri.
With 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, James sank a fadeaway jumper from the left elbow – scoring his 36th point of the game and 38,388th of his career. He stretched his arms in celebration as the supercharged crowd at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena went into a frenzy. Officials paused the game to honor him on the court.
Photo Cred: NPR
“Everybody that’s ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I just want to say, I thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without y’all.”
Photo Cred: Reuters
What is remarkable about this accomplishment is Lebron James is still producing at an elite level at age 38, as he did when he first entered the league as an eighteen-year-old in 2003. Lebron is now closing in on becoming the first player in NBA history to score 40.000 points. For it to happen, it requires Lebron to remain healthy and continue scoring at a prominent level.
This accomplishment is just another notch in the belt of his Hall of Fame career. He has four NBA titles, four Finals MVP awards, four NBA MVP awards, and nineteen All-Star Selections. Now the most important questions include if Lebron can continue scoring at an elite level as he gets older. Can someone get close to or even break the record? How many points will Lebron end his career with? He is focused on playing with his first son. We may see three more years of greatness.
