LeBron James breaks NBA career scoring record by overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James has now scored more points than any NBA player in history as he edged out Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of 38,387 points on Tuesday night in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

This marks the first time a new name has appeared in the NBA’s all-time rankings since April 5, 1984, when Abdul-Jabbar edged out Wilt Chamberlain by 31,419 points.

Almost nine months after Abdul-Jabbar snatched the record from Chamberlain, LeBron James was born. Abdul-Jabbar used his skyhook to score points until he retired in 1989 at the age of 42.

James, 38, broke a career high at the end of the third quarter when he scored 36th against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Abdul-Jabbar was present to witness this achievement along with countless other celebrities.

The NBA stopped the game for an on-court ceremony where Abdul-Jabbar and James embraced. James addressed the crowd and was excited about what he had just done.

James broke the record, which had stood for almost 39 years, around the middle of his 20th NBA season. During his career, James shot 50.5% from the field and averaged 27.2 points per game.

The king rises to the top

The NBA only uses regular season games to tally its all-time record, meaning that the 7,631 points James scored in 266 playoff games is not part of its official tally.

James lived in thin air even before he launched his professional career right out of high school, proclaiming himself the next great player in the game. He now ranks first on the list, which, after Abdul-Jabbar, is behind Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Throw in Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain and you have only seven NBA players with over 30,000 points.

James has one of the most comprehensive stats of any top scorer in NBA history, averaging 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.

With one of the sport’s most revered awards, James is one of only 10 players to have played at least 20 seasons in the NBA. During that time, he made the NBA Finals 10 times, with the last of his four titles coming in 2020.

James gains elite stats, but his Lakers struggle

A points record is a testament to an athlete’s performance as well as endurance and longevity. And in the case of James, his stats show his unparalleled versatility.

James is one of seven NBA players and the only non-point guard to have over 10,000 assists in his career. He is also the only player on this shortlist to score over 22,000 points.

Among current active players, the Lakers forward leads in career rebounding and ranks second in steals.

James has suffered more losses this season than most in his career, and the Lakers are stuck in the bottom half of the Western Conference. His star teammate Anthony Davis missed significant time with a stress injury in his right leg.

Following on from Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring, James also recently joined the legendary Lakers center in another NBA category when James was selected to their 19th NBA All-Star Team. He is set to captain the game, which starts February 19 in Salt Lake City.

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