LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time leading points scorer as he surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James has become the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 34-year-old record amid an impressive performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles.

Fans spent thousands of dollars to secure a seat in the Lakers arena to witness history, and James didn’t keep them waiting: He put on a record-sealing show as Abdul-Jabbar watched from the court.

James entered the game against OKC needing 36 points to surpass the record of 38,387, set by Abdul-Jabbar in 1989.

The King claimed the record with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter with a trademark faded dagger.

James walked away with his hands up before he was mobbed by his teammates and eventually his sons, Bronny and Bryce, along with his wife, Savannah.

The game between the Lakers and OKC was stopped to recognize the moment.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver took a microphone to honor James alongside Abdul-Jabbar, who presented James with the basketball on which he scored the record-breaking basket.

James came into Tuesday’s game averaging 30 points, and his performance is sure to be a huge disappointment to those who shelled out as much as $100,000 a ticket to secure a seat for Thursday’s game against Milwaukee.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has become the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on hand in Los Angeles to see his record broken

LeBron’s incredible 20-year career has seen him surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record

Speaking before the game in an interview with ESPN, LeBron said of his charge toward the record: “It’s still mind-blowing to me.

“I never said that I wanted to lead the league in scoring or, of course, I never said that I wanted to be the all-time leader in scoring. That’s never been a dream for me, and to sit here and be about to have it happen, it’s pretty crazy.

James and Abdul-Jabbar have had a famously rocky relationship over the years, with their feud erupting during the Covid-19 pandemic, and amid James supporting players who had opted out of the vaccine.

After James’ comments, Abdul-Jabbar said he was “just wrong… and being wrong could be deadly, especially for the black community.”

Kareem also attacked LeBron’s social stances in an interview with ESPN last year, saying: “Some of the things that he’s done and said are really below him, as far as I can see.”

‘Some of the great things he’s done, he’s standing on both sides of the fence almost, you know? It’s hard for me to accept when he’s committed to taking a different perspective on everything. It’s hard to know where you stand. You have to check it every time.

That led to an apology on social media from the 75-year-old, who said he was sorry for his “abrupt response” to the reporter.

James’ record-breaking career began 20 years ago in 2003, when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him first overall.

James (L) poses with his famous family last week, with potential future stars Bronny and Bryce.

LeBron began his career in Cleveland (left) before winning in Miami and then returning

He was named Rookie of the Year in 2004 and went on to win MVP awards in 2009 and 2010 during a seven-season stint with the Cavs.

In 2010, he left as a free agent with the team unable to challenge for a championship, announcing his move to the Miami Heat in a television special titled “The Decision,” one of the most controversial free agent moves in league history. nba. .

It was in Miami that he won his first NBA championship, in 2012 and then again in 2013. In both seasons, he also garnered MVP and Finals MVP awards.

Now in the Lakers, James has won four NBA championships and now broke the solo record.

James poses with his wife Savannah last year at the premiere of the Netflix movie ‘Hustle’

In 2014, he re-signed with the Cavaliers and in 2016 led the team to a historic NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to end the ‘Cleveland curse’ that he had seen the sports teams in town. he failed to win a title in 52 years.

LeBron left the Cavs for the second time in 2018, exercising his contract option to join the Los Angeles Lakers, where he remains to this day.

In 2020, he won his fourth NBA championship in a season decimated by Covid, and also became the first player in NBA history to rack up $1 billion in winnings as an active player.