LeBron James is the NBA’s new career scoring leader.
With a step-back jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter in the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, Feb. 7, James pushed his career total to 38,388 points and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
James outstretched his arms, threw both hands in the air, then smiled. Abdul-Jabbar rose from his seat and clapped. The game was stopped as some members of James’ family, including his mother, wife and children, took the floor for a ceremony recognizing the moment.
LeBron James (6) of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts with Savannah James, Bronny James, Zhuri James and Bryce James after scoring to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 2023. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Abdul-Jabbar—a longtime Laker and one of many celebrities and sports stars who made sure they were there to see history—became the league’s all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984 and wound up retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points. It was a record that some thought would last forever, with very few even coming close. Karl Malone retired 1,459 points behind Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant was 4,744 points shy, and Michael Jordan was 6,095 points away….