LeBron James Sets NBA All-Time Scoring Mark

There are few heights that Lakers star LeBron James has failed to reach on a basketball court. And now, we can add NBA’s all-time leading scorer to the list. 

James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the record, needing 36 points for the game, and getting it done late in the third quarter at home vs. the Thunder.

James hit a fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arms of Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, with fans erupting and play coming to a halt. He immediately went over to the sidelines and hugged his family.

James was then joined at center court by NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar.

Wiping away tears, James addressed the crowd and implored them to cheer for Abdul-Jabbar, who set the scoring mark in 1984.

After 39 years, the NBA has a new #ScoringKing

Salute, @kingjames. pic.twitter.com/NSJqD1kobN

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 8, 2023

“I just wanna say thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it means so much to me. It’s very humbling,” James said. “Please give a standing ovation to the captain, please … To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends … man, everybody that’s ever been a part of this run with me the last 20 years — 20-plus years — I just wanna say I thank you so much ’cause I wouldn’t be me without y’all.”

James wasn’t finished.

“And to the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late-great David Stern, I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about,” he said. “And I would never, ever in a million years dreamt this even better than what it is tonight.”

History. pic.twitter.com/JAAmTg8Axy

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 8, 2023

James got 38,388 points for his career when he scored his 36th on Thursday. That gave him one more than Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387.

“When I say I’m not a scorer, I say it in a sense of, it’s never been the part of my game that defines me,” James said last month, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “The scoring record was never, ever even thought of in my head because I’ve always been a pass-first guy.”

True Greatness. Incredibly grateful to have witnessed and been a part of your journey. History made.

38,388 ?

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) February 8, 2023

James finished with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting. True to form, though, the Lakers dropped a 133-130 decision to the Thunder in a season that has been full of unsteadiness and more disappointment as a team. 

But this season as an individual, James has been scoring like crazy, entering the night at 30.0 points per game. His first 36 on Tuesday seemed seamless, coming within the flow of the game — as usual.

That’s just LeBron James for you. The best scorer who ever was.