LeBron James: the new scoring king

LeBron James holds the NBA career scoring record after breaking past 38,387 points

Clay Marshall / Contributor / The USD Vista

LeBron James made NBA history on Feb. 7, 2023. The star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers recently passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the list of all-time scorers versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set the previous record for scoring with 38,387 points scored throughout the course of his 21-season career. To break this record, LeBron only needed 36 more points, which he did in dramatic fashion by scoring his 36th point on a fadeaway jumper.

LeBron James, who is 38 years old, is still playing professional basketball at a high level. Averaging 30.2 points, 7 assists, alongside 9 rebounds per game. He is in his 20th season and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the first overall choice in the 2003 NBA Draft soon after graduating from high school. He guided the Cavaliers to the playoffs on several occasions, won two league MVP titles, and led them to the NBA Finals in 2007, where they were defeated by the San Antonio Spurs, headed by Tim Duncan.

Shortly after breaking the record mid-way through the game, LeBron James spoke with ESPN about his appreciation for the opportunity to play the game of basketball and break the record.

“To the NBA… I thank you guys so much for letting me be part of something I’ve always dreamed about. I would never, ever in a million years dreamed it’s better than what it is tonight.”

He then made a world-changing decision on national television to announce he was leaving the Cavaliers and joining the Miami Heat on July 10, 2010. LeBron James received major backlash from Cavaliers fans and NBA fans alike. However, this did not stop James from overcoming all odds by winning two championships with the Miami Heat, along with winning two league MVPs which now gives him four MVPs total. He eventually returned to Cleveland in 2015. 

In an NBA playoff series, one team needs to win a total of 4 games in order to win the series. The Cavaliers in the 2016 Finals were on the brink of getting eliminated by the 73-9 Golden State Warriors after falling down three games to one. However, in remarkable fashion, LeBron James, and  star point-guard Kyrie Irving made a comeback and won 3 games in a row to overcome the first 3-1 deficit in NBA Finals history and winning the NBA Championship 4-3. After spending some time in Cleveland, James went to the Lakers and won a championship in 2020. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the previous record holder, is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. He was drafted in the 1969 NBA draft as the number one overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks. Abdul-Jabbar played in Milwaukee for six seasons, won a championship, and won three MVPs during his tenure. Eventually, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played with hall-of-fame point guard Magic Johnson. With the Lakers, he won an additional five championships and three MVP awards to enhance his already impressive resume. Abdul-Jabbar retired at the end of the 1988-89 season and at the time, was the all-time scoring leader with 38,387 points.  He was a six-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, and a six-time NBA League MVP and was well known for his signature move the sky hook.

In an interview with ESPN, Abdul-Jabbar spoke on LeBron James breaking his scoring record and others assuming he would react negatively to it.

“It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars,” Abdul-Jabbar explained. “ How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning.”

Several celebrities were in attendance to watch LeBron make history. Stars such as Jay-Z, Floyd Mayweather, Usher and Denzel Washingtonwere all present in Crypto.com Arena. There were also Laker wand former all-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul-Jabarr.

Due to his playing style, LeBron James is one of the most adored NBA players in the league. Considering that he performs virtually every task on the court, he is an electrifying and fascinating player to watch. James has memorable moments that will keep any basketball fan interested, while also being able to score, dunk, rebound and play superb defense. 

Aiden Spallone, a USD first-year, spoke on LeBron James breaking the record.

“It was fire. I think it’s going to be very difficult for people to make a case for Michael Jordan being the greatest player of all time. He can be in the league for a couple more years and extend the all-time scoring record to make it potentially unbreakable.”

Many think that LeBron James has cemented his status as the greatest basketball player of all time after shattering the all-time scoring record. Alongside Michael Jordan, the two are candidates in the current discussion about who is the best player in history.