LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to set NBA's all-time scoring record

[Zorro]

Basketball has a new scoring king.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James unseated Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer Tuesday night, breaking a record that was once thought untouchable by hitting a fadeaway jumper from the top of the key late in the third quarter of a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. For James, a four-time NBA champion, a four-time MVP and a four-time Finals MVP, passing Abdul-Jabbar’s hallowed record of 38,387 points reflects an unmatched standard of consistency and scoring prowess across 20 seasons.

With less than 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter, James backed down on Thunder forward Kenrich Williams at the left elbow and worked his way across the paint. After bumping Williams to create space, James faded away and to his left, holding his follow-through as his jumper swished through to a loud ovation.

“I was able to get to a really good spot on the floor, where I’m very comfortable, and get to one of my patented fadeaway shots,” James said. “A lot of people wanted me to go to the skyhook to break the record, or one of my signature dunks. But my fadeaway is a signature play as well. I was able to get it, and it touched nothing but the bottom of the net.”

James then jogged down the court, raising both of his arms in celebration. The officials stopped the game for a brief ceremony with 10.9 seconds remaining in the period, as a video tribute played on the video board recognizing big moments from James’s career, including his titles with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers. James was joined on the court by his family, Abdul-Jabbar and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for a presentation of the game ball.

“A record that has stood for nearly 40 years, which, Kareem, many people thought would never be broken,” Silver said. “LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/02/07/lebron-james-scoring-record/

[BeyondGeography]

1. Congrats to LeBron

Kareem is still about 1.8k buckets ahead of LeBron. Now THAT is one record that will surely never be broken in the 3-point era.

This is not to diminish LeBron’s achievement, but it does put Kareem’s greatness in perspective IMO. His sky hook was the single most unstoppable shot ever.

[IggleDuer]

2. His team lost.

Congratulations LeBron.

[Takket]

3. Biden scored that many points on the rethugs in one night

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. This is a record that most people doubted could be topped

Last edited Wed Feb 8, 2023, 07:32 PM - Edit history (1)

James is a truly amazing athlete