It has really happened: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record, which stood for almost 39 years, is gone. On February 7, 2023, LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
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The Record Night
At home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron hit a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter to reach 38,388 points, one more than Kareem's 38,387. Kareem himself was in the arena to see it. LeBron finished the night with 38 points and now stands at 38,390. The Lakers still lost the game 130 to 133, but on this night, nobody really cared.
A Playmaker With the Scoring Record
For a player who always saw himself as a playmaker first and not as a pure scorer, this is a crazy achievement. But if you play 20 seasons in the NBA and average more than 27 points a game along the way, the record was almost bound to happen. Congratulations, LeBron.
NBA All-Time Scoring Leaders
- LeBron James: 38,390
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387
- Karl Malone: 36,928
- Kobe Bryant: 33,643
- Michael Jordan: 32,292
- Dirk Nowitzki: 31,560
- Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419
- Shaquille O'Neal: 28,596
- Carmelo Anthony: 28,289
- Moses Malone: 27,409
My Take
I have been following LeBron since his early days in Cleveland, and seeing him take this record is a big moment. To see how much his return to Cleveland meant back in 2014, check out Nike's Together commercial.
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