— Ely Corliss & Phil Prior
LeBron James has the most NBA points, ever. And he’s still going.
The 38-year-old passed 38,387 NBA points and also Lakers legend and 20-season sensation Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar was present, making it incredibly special.
It was celebrity row courtside; seemingly everyone that’s anyone made the effort to get there, cost be damned. The rowdy crowd witnessed history that might not be touched for a very long time.
The other names on the top 10 all time scorers list makes this feat all the more sparkling. It’s some list.
Current all-time NBA point scoring List:
- LeBron James (38,390)*
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387)
- Karl Malone (36,928)
- Kobe Bryant (33,643)
- Michael Jordan (32,292)
- Dirk Nowitzki (31,560)
- Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)
- Shaquille O’Neal (28,596)
- Carmelo Anthony (28,289)
- Moses Malone (27,409)
James needed 36 points against the Thunder
A 20-point first half set up a strong possibility of the all time great ticking it off before the game was there to be won against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was a curious side narrative; OKC held onto a strong lead for a large stretch of the game.
Lebron only needed 36 match minutes to reach 36 points; the shot clock was off on the brink of three-quarter time when he knocked down a fade-away jumper from behind the free throw line.
The mark stood for over 30 years and it’s quite possible James’ eventual total will remain infinitely indelible; never again touched in NBA history.
The occasion got all the necessary fanfare; TNT television coverage and a ‘… points to break scoring record’ graphic in the top right hand corner. When Lebron got there, the match stopped for a presentation involving commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar too.
There was serious demand to be there to witness history
Fans who are took the punt that Lebron would reach the feat against the Thunder dug deep into their wallets; Bleacher Report found tickets selling for as high as $92,000 USD.
Seats slightly further back from the court were going for between $10,000-$40,000, while seats in what is called the ‘200 level’ sold for around $2,500.
What were the odds of LeBron surpassing Adbul-Jabbar against OKC?
LeBron James is currently averaging 30-points this season, so based off of that statistic he was on track to fall just short of Abdul-Jabbar’s record on the night.
He doesn’t have an incredible record against the Thunder, at least as a Laker. In his four seasons in LA, Lebron averages 25.6 points per game across seven meetings.
Although since he turned 38-years-old on December 30, he’s been on a tear, averaging just shy of 34-points a game. James has scored over the required total of 36 points six times in January, alone. It’s wild what Lebron is doing at the age of 38.
What was LeBron saying about becoming the all-time leading scorer?
LeBron James has always claimed to have a pass-first mentality, which has seen him recently jump into fourth overall on the all-time assists leaderboard so according to him, scoring was never a priority.
On Monday, ESPN released a one-on-one interview with James where he addressed his inevitable rise to the top of the scoring throne and how it wasn’t a goal of his.
“I’ve never said I wanted to lead the league in scoring or for sure never said that I want to be the all-time leader in scoring. That’s never been a dream of mine,” James said.
“So, to sit here and actually be on the brink of it happening, it’s pretty crazy.”
What’s the fan view of LeBron surpassing Kareem?
The internet and social media have been ablaze, following LeBron James’s journey towards the number one spot on the all-time leading scorer’s list. And for quite some time; fans were very ready for it.
The obvious debate around the situation was whether he can manage 36 points against Oklahoma City, or whether we’d have to wait another couple of days for the game against the Bucks. The fact it didn’t even take three full quarters helped tell the story; Lebron and the Lakers had tunnel vision to get it done.
