LeBron James becomes most prolific scorer in NBA history

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who is in his 20th season in the NBA, scored 21 feet late in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 38,387 points.

As the Crypto.com Arena erupted in wild celebration at his new record of 38,388 points, James released his arms in relief.

Abdul-Jabbar, who was sitting courtside, was one of the first to congratulate James when play was stopped to remember an important NBA moment.

Before expressing his gratitude to his family, friends, and fans, James told the crowd, “To be able to be in the presence of a legend and great as Kareem it means so much to me.”

“I just want to say I thank you so much to everyone who has ever been a part of this run with me these last 20 years because I wouldn’t be who I am without all of your help, passion, and sacrifices to help me get to this point.”

James also paid tribute to Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, and to David Stern, his predecessor.

Before dropping an F-bomb, James added, “Thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about, and I would never ever in a million years have dreamt this even better than what it is tonight.”

Chasing history After a spectacular season in which he scored 30 points per game for a struggling Lakers team, James needed only 36 points to beat Abdul-Jabbar in Tuesday’s game against Oklahoma City.

The 38-year-old took his time before going for his magic number. He missed his first two attempts, but he finally hit a three-pointer midway through the first quarter to get the game started.

After scoring eight points in the first quarter, the four-time NBA champion was 28 points short as the second quarter began.

James scored 12 quick points in the second quarter to pick up the pace. He was subbed out with 5:34 left in the half, 16 points away from setting the record by halftime.

He was just eight points away from the record with 28 on the night after making two consecutive three-pointers, and a driving layup brought him within six.

He took a two-point lead with two more layups before making a successful long-range shot to tie the record.

James has made it a point to reduce the anticipation surrounding his attempt to break the record this season by insisting that his primary goal is to help the Lakers regain their competitiveness.

However, in recent days, he has spoken more broadly about the record, stating last week that surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s mark was comparable to surpassing baseball’s all-time home run record.

Record for “Untouchable” James said, “I think it’s one of the greatest records in sports in general.”

I believe it is comparable to the baseball home run record. One of those records that you just never expect to be broken is this one.

Abdul-Jabbar’s record was considered untouchable in the modern era, and many NBA members agreed.

When asked about Abdul-Jabbar’s record last weekend, Golden State coach Steve Kerr said, “I think most of us back then thought that record would never be broken.”

Therefore, LeBron’s ability to accomplish this feat over a period of 20 years is quite remarkable and a demonstration of his endurance.

He is merely a machine. He always puts on a physical show and is healthy.

Erik Spoelstra, who led James to two of his four NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, stated that he had always assumed Abdul-Jabbar’s record would never be broken. Spoelstra was the coach of the Miami Heat.

Spoelstra told NBA.com prior to James’s record-breaking performance on Tuesday, “I thought that would be untouchable.”

James’s former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, Tyronn Lue, believes that the scoring record is his crowning achievement.

“This must be a no. 1 in light of the length of time Kareem has held this record—since 1984. I am aware that LeBron has won MVPs and championships. But to be the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, given all of the great players who have played this game? That is a significant achievement, “Lue told NBA.com.