LeBron James has broken the NBA's all-time scoring record. But it's just one more jewel in the King's crown

With an incredible performance, LeBron James made history once again by breaking the 39-year record set by the titanic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Sajid Khan
Published : 10 Feb 2023, 01:30 PM
Updated : 10 Feb 2023, 01:30 PM

The cameras were ready. The crowd was on the edge of their seats. They would see history unfold before their eyes. For 39 years, the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the record for the most points scored in the NBA. When he retired in 1989, the dominant centre had scored 38,387 points over 1,560 games. 

On Feb 7, 2023, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, in the iconic Lakers yellow and purple against the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James hit a step-back fadeaway from the top of the key to break the record.  

It took him only 1,409 games. 

The crowd went wild as the game came to a complete stop.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Kareem the Dream, the big man himself, came out to the court for a brief ceremony. LeBron's family – his mother, wife and three children – were there too. LeBron, undoubtedly the greatest basketball player of his generation, was overwhelmed. 

"To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it's very humbling," he said.

It was instantly iconic. After all, standing tall next to towering six-time NBA champion Abdul-Jabbar is no mean feat. 

Stars, like Jay-Z, Usher, and Bad Bunny, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, tennis legend John McEnroe, and actor Denzel Washington, studded the crowd.

But perhaps the two most important to LeBron were his sons – Bronny James and Bryce Maximus James – looking on as their father made history once again.

LeBron has always had a preternatural gift for the game. A physical powerhouse with the sharpest basketball mind ever devised, he seemed destined for greatness from his days as a high school phenom. But his work ethic and grit cannot be dismissed either.

His four championship rings did not come easy. Drafted by his hometown team – the Cleveland Cavaliers – he made an instant splash in the NBA. But it would take the move to Miami, to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosch for aspirations of the basketball crown to come into view. 

Naturally, the media hated them. The three superstars seemed primed to dominate the league, almost unfairly. That first year didn't work out. They went all the way to the NBA Finals, but waiting there was the brilliant Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, who were ready for their shot at immortality. 

From their second go-around, Wade passed on the team's leadership to LeBron, who soared to the challenge and came up with back-to-back championships. 

Then, another controversial decision. LeBron chose a return to Cleveland, hoping he could lead an underdog team featuring emerging star Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to glory. 

The road would be long and hard because, 2,450 miles away, the Golden State Warriors were bringing together Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green into a dynasty.

The two teams' clash in 2015 saw the depleted Cavaliers give way despite a valiant effort from LeBron. But it was their rematch in 2016 that cemented LeBron as an all-time great. 

Playing some of the most fluid, beautiful offence ever seen in the league, the Warriors had breezed through the regular season on their way to the Final. And it seemed they would trounce Cleveland again as the series stood at 3-1. But LeBron would not let things end there. Through an immense effort, characterised by the legendary block in Game 7, the Cavaliers triumphed in the Warriors' own house through a comeback never seen before.

The teams would meet in the Finals twice more, but the Warriors tipped the scales with the addition of the dazzling Kevin Durant. If the Miami' big three' seemed unfair, Golden State's combination was overwhelming. Neither Finals series was competitive. 

It seemed the championship was slipping away from LeBron. The pundits began pontificating that he was past it. That another ring was a step too far, even for his prodigious talents. He would prove them wrong.

As the pandemic ravaged the world in 2020, the NBA moved into the Bubble – an isolated setting where they could complete the playoffs and decide the champion for the season. 

This time, LeBron was in Lakers yellow, having moved to Los Angeles in 2018. With the help of Anthony Davis, he tore through the competition to claim his fourth championship ring and his fourth Finals MVP award.

LeBron has been the best player on the court in most of the 20 years he has been in this gruelling and physically demanding league. His longevity at the top is unrivalled in the sport. Breaking the scoring record was a moment for the history books, but it was just another jewel in the King's crown.

LeBron says he wants the chance to play alongside his son Bronny, who is currently in high school, and wants to push his career points total above 40,000. Even at 38, he shows no sign of retiring and can still unlock any defence.  

Wednesday was just another example. He hit 38 points in 34 minutes on 13/20 shooting and stacked up 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. An amazing stat-line, but for him almost routine.

The Lakers lost 133-130, but it hardly seemed to matter. The home crowd's cheers still filled the stadium. After all, this wasn't a game. It was a coronation. 

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.