LeBron James cemented his name into yet another page of the basketball history books, this one being a monumental milestone. On the night of Feb. 7, in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, James took hold of the record for the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) all-time leading scorer. The record of 38,387 points, previously held by Bucks’ and Lakers’ legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, had stood for the last 39 years before James surpassed it that night.
The moment in which James passed Abdul-Jabbar was a signature moment. With less than 20 seconds to go in the third quarter, James, who had already amassed 34 points on the night, went to work inside the three-point line and seized the moment. With all eyes on him and countless phones recording the moment, James posted up on Thunder forward Kenrich Williams and knocked down one of his signature fadeaway shots to set the new record for all-time points in NBA history.
Following the shot, the crowd erupted, and the referees let James have his moment. Time stopped and James’ friends and family flooded onto the court to congratulate him and take pictures. Soon after, a short tribute video was played on the jumbotron of Crypto.com Area, and NBA commissioners Adam Silver and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made their way out to center court to congratulate the new record holder. Silver also made it official. With microphone in hand, he uttered the phrase no one thought would ever be heard, going on to say that Abdul-Jabbar’s record had been broken and LeBron James was the new all-time scoring leader.
While the Lakers would go on to lose to the Thunder that night by a score of 133-130, the score was not what was on the minds of players and fans. The story everyone was talking about was LeBron James standing alone at the mountaintop of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers list. James finished the night with 38 points, continuing to set a new all-time leading scoring mark night in and night out.
At 38 years old, James has a chance to not only break but shatter Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record. It should not shock anyway if James were able to break the 40,000-point mark, especially with his ability to dominate opposing teams at such an age. With the next closest actively rostered player in the league on the all-time scoring list being 34-year-old Kevin Durant, James’ record could stand for generations moving forward.
Of course, such a milestone being set by one of the league’s all-time greats will spark some debate. Unsurprisingly, the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all Time) debate has been reignited following last Wednesday’s game and is once again being debated among NBA fans, Michael Jordan and LeBron James fans alike.
James’ most recent accomplishment is without a doubt a driving factor that could lead fans to believe he is the best player in league history. However, there is no question that Jordan’s perfect record of six championships in six NBA Finals appearances, including six Finals MVPs (Most Valuable Player), is also one of the most impressive feats the league has witnessed. Regardless, this debate will likely go on until the end of time and no matter who you support in this debate, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are most certainly the two best players to ever grace the court.
As of Feb. 12, James sits at 38,390 all-time points and due to a foot injury, he will miss a considerable amount of time.
