A record for eternity has been broken: LeBron James overtakes basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and becomes the best point scorer in NBA history. The record is achieved thanks to James’ impressive fitness – and is by no means the only superstar.
38,390. That’s three more than 38,387. No one would have thought this simple calculation possible. Because the numbers are points in the NBA. The best basketball league in the world. And there, one of the best basketball players of all time has now achieved what nobody thought possible for a long time. LeBron James overtakes icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and climbs to the best scorer in history the NBA up.
The record was considered unassailable. Actually. It lasted almost 39 years. Abdul-Jabbar had topped the career points list since April 5, 1984, when he broke the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain. But then came LeBron James. In the final minute of the third quarter, his Los Angeles Lakers lost 130-133 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the most historic baskets in league history. James posts up at the free-throw line, pushes his opponent away, then jumps off his left foot and hits the backhand in a LeBron-typical fadeaway shot.
Actually, there are still ten seconds to play in the third quarter and the entire final quarter to play, but, typical NBA: the audience stands up, the clock stops, standing ovations, the historic event is honored on the video cube in the arena. Then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and dethroned record holder Kareem Abdul-Jabbar step onto the field to pay tribute to the “King”. “A record that has stood for almost 40 years and that many thought would never be broken. LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Congratulations!” said Silver.
James fights back tears as he says thank you at the microphone, asks for applause for his predecessor and thanks everyone who has supported him along the way and in his 20 years in the best basketball league in the world. “To be in the presence of someone as unique as Kareem is outstanding. Please applaud the Captain. Applause also for my mother, my wife, my children. I wouldn’t be me without your help.”
In video messages, not only his mother Gloria, wife Savannah (“I’m incredibly proud of you”) and their three children Bronny, Bryce and Zhuri congratulated, but even US President Joe Biden: “You inspired the country to do better become. Keep it up!” Dirk Nowitzki tweeted: “Incredible!! Congratulations King James.” Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry, who fought several big finals with James, wrote: “Congratulations King James! Legendary!” James ended up with 38 points on this particular night, now three points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar at number one on the list. He will expand the lead, probably as the first NBA professional to break the 40,000 point mark.
James defies all hardships
It all started for then 18-year-old “King” James on October 29, 2003. In his first league game away with the Sacramento Kings, the self-proclaimed chosen one proved he could handle the seemingly insurmountable hype that had been brewing around him before he even got a entered the NBA court. Three minutes were played when James, who came into the league as a teenager without a reliable jump shot, started a difficult fadeaway jump shot at the baseline: the ball hissed through the net with a “swish”, the bench of his Cleveland Cavaliers roared . The rookie hit his first three shots and finished his first quarter as a pro with 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals.
Two decades later, James continues unabated. He improved and changed his game several times, adapting to the style of the league. His body transformed into a bulldozer machine over the years. It is above all James’ ability to maintain an incredibly high level that remains unmatched and has enabled him to surpass the record mark. Hardly anyone in sports is as durable and withstands all the hardships as the Lakers star. In 76 NBA seasons, only six other players have clocked at least 50,000 minutes on the court. Players like Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry may be better scorers or three-pointers than James, but none have withstood the wear and tear of professional basketball nearly as well as The King.
Unless James retires sooner than expected – he has at least one more season under contract and has a player option for 2024/25 – he should reach the 40,000 point mark next season. Craziness! While the NBA is now accumulating far more points than it did in the 1990s, if anyone were to even remotely threaten James for the record, he’d have to stay healthy and productive at an elite level for two decades.
James is far from enough
Michael Jordan has a better point average per game (30.1 to James’ 27.2), but the six-time champion, whom most experts still see as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) ahead of James, “only” played 15 years in the league. The Lakers forward is in his 20th season and, while losing his dominance of years past, he’s still scoring better than almost everyone else in the league. James is currently in seventh place on this year’s scoring list and has no intention of retiring. “I will stay in this league for at least a few more years,” he recently announced.
By the time his career comes to an end, the Lakers superstar will likely not only have the most points but also set a new minutes played record (he is less than 4,000 minutes from Abdul-Jabbar in an 82-game season and an average of 36.4 minutes per game this season).
The man who scores more points than anyone who has ever set foot on an NBA field is sure to set more records. Time to take a look at all his historic brands so far – because number one in the scoring list is far from his only masterpiece in the league, which records every statistic in such detail like no other in the world:
Teen Records
James is the first and still the only 18-year-old to score 30 points in a game. In doing so, he surpassed Kobe Bryant’s old mark by more than 100 days as the youngest player with a 30-point game. This record is almost impossible to break because NBA players have to play in college or another league for at least a year after high school and are not allowed to transfer directly from there to the league like James and Bryant.
Shortly after his teenage years, James also became the youngest player to ever score 50 points. In March 2005, at the age of 20, he scored 56 points in a loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Only non-guard in top 10 assists
James passed point guard legend Steve Nash in early February to take fourth place all-time with his 11 assists against the New York Knicks Leaderboard of assist providers the NBA. As the only player who doesn’t officially play in the guard position (James has played some kind of point-forward throughout his career), the self-proclaimed “pass-first guy” is in the top 10. James has the game against Oklahoma City has conceded 10,354 crucial passes and is still averaging seven assists per game this season. He could even catch up with the point guard icons Chris Paul (still active himself, currently 11,271) and Jason Kidd (12,091) in front of him, although it will be difficult and John Stockton in first place (15,806) is probably out of reach for him.
Triple-double records
As a pass-oriented player, James naturally also collected one or two triple doubles in his career, i.e. double-digit values in three statistical categories. In his case, at least ten points, rebounds and assists. 105 so far, which puts him “only” fifth on the all-time leaderboard, but as of this year he has become the first player ever to have a triple double in his 20th season or beyond. He’s also the fourth-oldest player in NBA history to have performed this particular statistical feat.
20,000 and 30,000
On January 17, 2013, James became the youngest NBA player with 20,000 regular season points. Just five years later, on January 23, 2018, a long jump shot made him the seventh – and youngest – player to have scored 30,000 career points in his career. After Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and a certain Dirk Nowitzki.
Record seasons in a row
The top spot on the scoring list also comes as James is averaging at least 25 points per game for his 19th straight season in his 20th year in the NBA. Only as a league newcomer does James stay under this brand. An incredible series. Jordan didn’t succeed because he didn’t play long enough. But even Abdul-Jabbar could only score 25 points or more for nine seasons in a row, and the dominant Chamberlain’s streak of 25 points per game ended after eight seasons.
30K, 10K, 10K
Last season, James became the first player in NBA history to have at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. To put that in context, only eight players in NBA history have reached the 30,000 point mark. Only seven players have reached the 10,000 mark in assists. No other basketball player is in the top 25 on either list.
40 points against all teams
In January, aged 38, James added more accolades to his impressive career. He became the first player to score 40 points against all 30 teams in the league in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers star also matched Jordan’s league record: three games with at least 45 points at the age of 38.
All Star Game
With his most recent nomination, James drew level with Abdul-Jabbar, who was voted an All-Star a total of 19 times – the most in his career. James now surpasses Bryant’s 18. These three NBA legends are the only three players with more than 15 All-Star nominations.
All-NBA Teams
All-Star starters are chosen by the fans for the fans. The All-NBA teams are a different story. They provide information about who were the best players in the league in the respective season. James already holds the record for most All-NBA callouts with 18, and is expected to add 19 this year. He also holds the record for most All-NBA honors for the first team (there are also second and third teams) at 13. Even if he never makes an All-NBA team again, James will set that record keep for a very long time.
three pack
James is the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Championship as Finals Series Most Valuable Player with three different teams (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers).
playoff records
James has by far the most points when one the regular season and the playoffs adds up. He also ranks first in playoff points scored (7,631), shots shot (2,725), free throws shot (1,749), steals (454), games played (266), and minutes (11,035) on the court.