On February 7, 2023, LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record of 38,387 points during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Los Angeles Lakers star entered the game with 38,352 points, needing 36 to overtake Abdul-Jabbar. He finished the night with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting (4-of-6 from 3) to go along with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
Tonight, I actually felt like I was sitting on top of the arena when that shot went in, and the roar from the crowd. I’m not sure if I would be able to feel that feeling again, unless it’s a game-winning Finals shot.
Lebron James
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The game was halted for about 10 minutes while James hugged his family, including his wife, mother and three children, and participated in a brief ceremony with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar, who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Lakers bench.
NBA’s All-Time scoring list (Top 10)
RANK | PLAYER | PTS | GP | MIN | FGM | FGA | FG% |
1 | LeBron James | 38,390 | 1,410 | 53,741 | 14,053 | 27,829 | 50.5 |
2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38,387 | 1,560 | 57,446 | 15,837 | 28,307 | 55.9 |
3 | Karl Malone | 36,928 | 1,476 | 54,852 | 13,528 | 26,210 | 51.6 |
4 | Kobe Bryant | 33,643 | 1,346 | 48,643 | 11,719 | 26,200 | 44.7 |
5 | Michael Jordan | 32,292 | 1,072 | 41,010 | 12,192 | 24,537 | 49.7 |
6 | Dirk Nowitzki | 31,560 | 1,522 | 51,367 | 11,169 | 23,734 | 47.1 |
7 | Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 | 1,045 | 47,859 | 12,681 | 23,497 | 54 |
8 | Shaquille O’Neal | 28,596 | 1,207 | 41,917 | 11,330 | 19,457 | 58.2 |
9 | Carmelo Anthony | 28,289 | 1,260 | 43,513 | 10,119 | 22,643 | 44.7 |
10 | Moses Malone | 27,409 | 1,329 | 45,071 | 9,435 | 19,225 | 49.1 |
Last month, with the record approaching, James told ESPN, “When I say I’m not a scorer, I say it in a sense of, it’s never been part of my game that defines me. The scoring record was never, ever even thought of in my head because I’ve always been a pass-first guy.”
The four-time champion and four-time MVP continues to add to his résumé, also ranking No. 4 in career assists, No. 9 in steals, No. 32 in rebounds and No. 91 in blocks — all a testament to James’ dominance and longevity, having logged the third-most minutes in league history.
The whole world was watching
Lebron James received praise and congratulatory messages from celebrities