Lebron James has become the NBA’s all-time points record holder after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the league’s best-ever finishers list.
The 38-year-old scored 38 points in a Los Angeles Lakers 133-130 loss to Oklahoma City Thunder in the early hours of Wednesday. The figure was more than enough to leapfrog Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387, which stood for 39 years.
Abdul-Jabbar had broken the scoring record in April 1984, eight months before James was born.
James entered the game needing 36 points to break the record and dutifully earned it in the third quarter and adding two extra points to take his total career tally to 38,390.
James broke the record with his family and friends present on the terraces alongside Abdul-Jabbar.
Speaking on the feat, the American was on the brink of tears as he expressed gratitude to everyone that contributed to his accolade-laden basketball career.
“To be able to be in the presence of a legend as great as Kareem, it means so much to me,” James said.
“Everybody that has ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I want to say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all of you. You all helped. Your passion and sacrifices helped me to get to this point.
“And to the NBA to Adam Silver, to the late great David Stern, thank you very much for allowing me to be a part of something I always dreamed about. I would never in a million years dreamt this to be even better than what it is tonight.”
James began his career in 2003 after being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After seven years with his hometown franchise, he moved to the Miami Heat in 2010, winning two titles.
He returned to Cleveland in 2014 and helped the team to its first and only NBA title in 2016.
He joined the Lakers in 2018 and secured his fourth NBA title with the team in 2020.
James was named NBA finals MVP four times, the same number of regular season MVP titles he has.
He is also a two-time Olympic champion with the US Dream Team.
