20 years on from his debut, LeBron James has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA‘s all-time leading point scorer, reaching 38,388 points.
The points finally came for James on Tuesday night, as the Lakers lost 133-130 to the Oklahoma City Thunder as he hit 38.
James recorded 20 points in the first half, showcasing his offensive capabilities – even at the age of 38, with no plans to retire just yet.
He then scored 16 points in the third quarter which ensured he broke the record, topping it all off with a nice jump shot in a tremendous moment that made history.
HISTORY.
With this bucket, LeBron James moves past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! pic.twitter.com/N6V5RxPe6r
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 8, 2023
After this, the game was stopped for roughly 10 minutes, which allowed James’ family, including his mother, wife and three children to come onto the court and share the special moment with one another.
Surrounded by cameras, LeBron addressed the crowd in emotional fashion.
“”I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about. I would never in a million years dreamt this to be even better than what it is tonight.”
LeBron then greeted Kareem, who had been watching at court-side. He came onto the floor, and presented James with a basketball. This was a sign of a ‘passing the torch’ on type moment thus extending his legacy. Abdul-Jabbar held this record for nearly four decades.
This moment between Kareem and LeBron is something special. pic.twitter.com/NygObZsn7p
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 8, 2023
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