The wait is over to witness the inevitable, as LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s top-scoring player of all time Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As ESPN reports, James entered the game with 38,352 points, 36 points shy of overtaking Abdul-Jabbar—whose record has stood for 38 years—and finished the night with 38 points after taking a 14-foot jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter, beating the legend’s 38,387 career points to move into the top spot. The accomplishment was not dulled by the Lakers’ 133-130 loss to the Thunder.
Abdul-Jabbar was there for the momentous occasion, and expressed his admiration for his fellow baller’s once-in-a-generation talent, saying, “LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game. And it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated. He has that indefinable essence that they call leadership.”
An incredible moment between two of the all-time greats.#ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/q29c6PN8ND
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
Fellow Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson also celebrated, saying,”I never thought that Kareem’s scoring record would be broken by anybody. It means even more to myself that you’re wearing that purple and gold, and broke it as a Laker.”
Anticipating this day, James said last week, “I grew up being a historian of all sports. I don’t have the number like planted in my head—the actual, real number. I know it’s 38 (thousand and) something. But I know it’s been Kareem. My whole life.”
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