LeBron James breaks all-time NBA scoring record
LeBron James became the most prolific goalscorer in professional basketball history on Tuesday.
With his 38,388th career point, James, aka the King, became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Los Angeles Lakers forward set the record in front of a home crowd, including Laker legend Abdul-Jabbar sitting on the court. James came into Tuesday’s game needing 36 points to break the record and did so with a 15-foot fadeaway jumper with 11 seconds left in the third quarter.
Abdul-Jabbar had held the scoring record for nearly 39 years, passing Wilt Chamberlain in April 1984. He would play five more seasons, finishing his career with 38,387 points. James’ record basket came in his 1,410th career game, 150 fewer than Abdul-Jabbar played during his Hall of Fame career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers.
Like Abdul-Jabbar, James has been playing in the NBA for 20 years, but since entering the league straight out of high school, at age 38, he is four years younger than Abdul-Jabbar was when he retired in 1989. James has said he would love to play for a few more years – and possibly with his son, Bronny. Should he play one more full season, he will almost certainly become the first NBA player ever to score 40,000 points in regular season games. (James is already the all-time playoff scorer with 7,631 points in the postseason.)
James also ranks fourth all-time among NBA and ABA players in assists, 10th in steals, and 35th in total rebounds. He has won NBA titles with all three franchises he has played in: the Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat.
More to come.
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