LeBron James becomes the all-time leading scorer in NBA history

Gloria Marie was pregnant with LeBron James when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA’s top scorer on April 5, 1984. It was almost 39 years before the position was occupied by a new owner. The current star of the Los Angeles Lakers, who was born on December 30 of that same year, surpassed the 38,387 points of the former pivot in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the early hours of this Wednesday.

Now, LeBron boasts 38,390 points in regular season games. “I didn’t intend to do that. It wasn’t a goal of mine when I joined the league,” he said in an interview with ESPN. “I never went after any record or wondered if I could surpass such a mark…. It’s one of those things that happens and you don’t even think about the possibility”, said the new record holder.

Abdul-Jabbar was in the gym and saw his mark broken. He handed the game ball to LeBron James, in a symbolic gesture as if he were passing the baton to the new holder of the record.

“The scoring record never crossed my mind because I’ve always been a pass-first guy. I’ve always loved seeing my teammates succeed,” he continued. “I know how to make baskets. When I say I’m not a scorer, I mean it in the sense that this was never the part of my game that defines me,” he added.

LeBron James and the NBA’s Greatest Scorers

Despite being the all-time leading regular season scorer, LeBron still trails Michael Jordan in points average. The six-time champion for the Chicago Bulls scored 32,292 points in 1,072 regular season games, an average of 30.1 points per game.

LeBron James: more records in sight

LeBron James is 38 years old and has a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers until 2024/2025, with a “player option” clause. That is, he is able to beat two more longevity marks in the NBA: more games and more seasons. Currently, Robert Parish, legendary player of the Boston Celtics, occupies the post, with 1 611 games. LeBron has already positioned himself among the top ten on the list, but the path to the top is still long and will depend on the athlete’s physical and medical conditions.

With 20 seasons played, LeBron needs just two more to equal Vince Carter’s record, who played 22 seasons in the NBA for eight different franchises.

“I literally try to prepare my body, my mind and my soul to stay young in a youth game,” said LeBron. “People always try to say something contrary or say I’m too old to do something. So every day I’m reminded of that fact and I make sure to remind people that I can continue to do what I’ve always done at a great level.”

The Lakers star does not hide that his goal is to work with his son Bronny before retiring. He is 18 years old and is currently a senior in high school at Sierra Canyon School and will not be eligible to play in the NBA until the 2024/2025 season under current league rules.

“I need to be on the court with my son,” said LeBron, who added that it doesn’t have to be on the same side. “Either on the same team or in a match against him. I don’t want to say how.” A video of the exact moment when LeBron James scores the points he needed to break the record was shared by the official profile of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team where the star plays.