Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has claimed the all-time scoring record in basketball's NBA.
LeBron James. Photo: Photosport
James eclipsed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's mark of 38,387 career regular-season points on a fallaway 20-foot shot with 10.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter of the Lakers' 133-130 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday (NZ time).
Abdul-Jabbar, who was sitting courtside, stood and applauded as James celebrated. The former Lakers star and NBA commissioner Adam Silver both shook James' hand and gave him brief hugs at centre court.
James then got on a microphone and 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 y'all.
"All y'all helped. All y'all's 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. So (expletive) man, thank you guys."
38 years old.
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
39 year-old record.
38 points tonight…
38,390 and counting. #ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/HBfuICH0dX
The star-studded crowd included tennis legend John McEnroe, music stars Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Bad Bunny, actor Denzel Washington and former Lakers players Bob McAdoo and James Worthy, among others.
With skills of a point guard, the shooting prowess of a wing and the strength of a power forward, James entered Wednesday's game averaging 30 points per game this season and needing 36 on the night to break the record.
James, 38, has averaged 27.2 points per game in his career while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14) and the Lakers (2018-present).
Not counted in his regular-season record total are James' 7631 playoff points, also the most by a player in NBA history. He has played in 266 career postseason games while winning four NBA championships.
In an example of just how consistent of a scorer James has been, he also extended his record streak of double-digit scoring games to 1140 consecutive.
- Reuters
