RECAP | History made! LeBron James becomes highest all-time NBA points-scorer

LeBron James breaks NBA all-time points-scoring record                             

LeBron James finally eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the most prolific scorer in NBA history on Wednesday, breaking a 39-year record that many throughout basketball believed would never be beaten.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, playing in his 20th season in the NBA, passed Abdul-Jabbar's longstanding total of 38,387 points after nailing a 21-foot shot late in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers eventually lost the game 133-130 to OKC.

James flung his arms aloft in relief as the Crypto.com Arena erupted in wild celebration at his new record of 38,388 points.

Abdul-Jabbar, sitting courtside, was among the first to congratulate James as play was interrupted to salute an iconic moment in NBA history.

"To be able to be in the presence of a legend and great as Kareem it means so much to me," James told the crowd before thanking family, friends and fans.

"Everybody that's ever been part of this run with me these last 20 years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn't be me without all your help, all your passion and all your sacrifices to help me get to this point."

James also paid tribute to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his predecessor, the late David Stern.

"Thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I've always dreamed about, and I would never ever in a million years have dreamt this even better than what it is tonight," James added before signing off with an F-bomb.

Chasing history

After a dazzling season that has seen him average 30 points per game in a struggling Lakers outfit, James went into Wednesday's clash with Oklahoma City needing just 36 points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar.

The 38-year-old took his time before surging towards his magic number, missing his first two attempts before finally nailing a three-pointer midway through the first quarter to get off the mark.

The four-time NBA champion would go on to score eight points in the opening quarter, leaving him 28 short as the second quarter got under way. James upped the pace in the second quarter with 12 quick points before being subbed off with 5:34 left in the half, 16 points away from the record by half-time.

A pair of back-to-back three pointers midway through the third quarter left him just eight points away from the record, with 28 on the night, before a driving layup put him within six.

Two more layups left him two points away before he duly converted his long-range effort to seal the record. James has been at pains to dampen anticipation surrounding his record chase this season, insisting that his priority remains helping the Lakers become a competitive outfit once more.

However, in recent days he has been more expansive when discussing the record, saying last week that beating Abdul-Jabbar's mark was comparable to breaking baseball's all-time home run record.

'Untouchable' record

"I think it's one of the greatest records in sports in general," James said. "I think it's up there with the home run record in baseball. It's one of those records that you just don't ever see or think that would be broken."

Many in the NBA agreed, believing that Abdul-Jabbar's record was untouchable in the modern era.

"I think most of us back then thought that record would never be broken," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of Abdul-Jabbar's record last weekend.

"So to see LeBron do it over 20 years is pretty remarkable and a testament to not only his ability but his durability.

"He's just a machine. He's healthy and a physical force night after night."

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who coached James to two of his four NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, said he had always assumed Abdul-Jabbar's record would never be beaten.

"I thought that would be untouchable," Spoelstra told NBA.com before James's record-breaking performance on Wednesday.

Tyronn Lue, James's former coach at the Cleveland Cavaliers, believes the scoring record is the crowning achievement of his glittering career.

"This has to be No. 1, seeing how long Kareem has held this record (since 1984). I know LeBron has his championships and MVPs. But to be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, considering all the great players that have come through this game? That's a big-time accomplishment," Lue told NBA.com.

- AFP.

LeBron James: The man who would be King                             

LeBron James, blessed with unparalleled basketball skills, exceptional longevity and unafraid to use the platform of NBA superstardom, has forged a unique destiny in his quest to be the best player of all time.

For twenty years, more than half his life, the player dubbed The Chosen One by Sports Illustrated when he was still in high school has embraced excellence.

Now the top scorer in NBA history after passing the mark Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had held since April 5, 1984 - more than eight months before James was born - James continues to write his legend.

It's a tale of monumental achievements often built on harsh failures, that has placed him among sport's towering figures.

The scoring record is the latest milestone on a career that has yielded four NBA championships, four NBA finals Most Valuable Player awards, four NBA season MVP awards, two Olympic gold medals and 19 NBA All-Star selections.

Yet James' evolution into NBA royalty came after a precarious early life. His mother, Gloria, 16 when he was born, struggled as a single mother.

"I came from the projects, I saw the drugs, the weapons, the murders," James has said of his early childhood in Akron, Ohio, where he and Gloria once moved seven times in the same year.

Things changed when youth football coach Frank Walker spotted him. Impressed by James's physical abilities, Walker pointed him toward basketball, and persuaded Gloria to allow him to move in with the Walker family.

By 12, James had caught the attention of high school recruiters impressed by his power and basketball IQ. He opted for St. Vincent-St. Mary, a predominantly white school, over John Buchtel High School, where a cheerleader, Savannah Brinson, his future wife and mother of their three children, was studying.

The choice kept James with his friends, including Maverick Carter, who today remains his partner in projects ranging from cinema to sports club ownership and which, added to James's salary and sponsorship contracts have made him the NBA's first active billionaire.

At 18, James became the youngest top pick in draft history when his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers took him number one in 2003. He inked an unprecedented $90 million endorsement deal with Nike before he played his first professional game, and led the Cavaliers in scoring, steals and minutes played in his first season.

But he lost his first two Finals appearances - with the Cavs in 2007 and with Miami in 2011 - after deciding the previous year to "take my talents to South Beach" in a highly scrutinised free agent move announced, to some derision, in an ESPN special.

In Miami, however, James would eventually find himself surrounded by a competitive team. He won his first NBA title in 2012 and added a second in 2013 - when he garnered a fourth MVP award to go with those he won in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

His fourth straight Finals appearance ended in a heavy defeat against the San Antonio Spurs and James, vilified by Cavs fans after his departure, decided to return to Cleveland to address unfinished business.

Four more Finals appearances followed, all against Golden State. James and the Cavs lost three, the exception the Cavs' epic and unprecedented return from 3-1 down in the best-of-seven series to win the 2016 title.

James became the first player in NBA history to lead all players in a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks as he delivered Cleveland's first NBA title and the city's first sports championship since the Browns won the 1964 NFL crown.

James's soaring block of an Andre Iguodala shot in game seven remains an iconic image of his career.

"I thought I was the best player people had ever seen," James would later confide, rekindling the debate over whether he or Michael Jordan deserved that status.

Unapologetic activist

James, whose social media presence includes 143 million followers on Instagram, has been vocal in denouncing racial injustice and supporting Black Lives Matter. He was an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, unfased by a right wing media critic's admonition to "shut up and dribble".

The I Promise school founded by James in Akron is a ground-breaking public school aimed at serving not only at-risk students but also their entire families.

James' efforts in turning out black voters in 2020 was a "game-changer" that boosted President Joe Biden's successful election campaign. That year, James won his fourth NBA championship with the Lakers, showing that his move to Los Angeles wasn't an early retirement - even if Hollywood offered him the lead role in "Space Jam 2" 25 years after Jordan brought the original to life.

While Jordan always looms in the past, with his six titles in six NBA finals appearances to James' four in 10, James remains fixed on the future and a new dream - to play alongside his son, Bronny, in the NBA.

"As long as I am on a floor, I'll try to be the best player of all time," James said. "And also, the best man and the best father. All on the same path."

- AFP.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP)

3rd Quarter: OKC 104-99 Lakers. 

The Lakers need to win the game to edge closer to a playoff play-in tournament position but all anyone will be talking about is the fade-away jump-shot that made Lebron the NBA all-time leading points-scorer.

The game comes to a halt as James' family and friends, media and many others swarm the court to embrace the "King" as he makes history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is on his feet appreciating the moment his record, which he's held since 1984, is beaten. 

Kareem steps onto the court with NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a poignant passing of the guard moment. Kareem passes a basketball over to Lebron and two basketball greats embrace in the centre of the court. 

Historic.

LeBron is in tears as he makes a short speech and implores the fans to give a standing ovation to Kareem. He thanks his family, friends and fans.

LeBron James! Another quick transition score, a great hustle by Anthony Davis and James finishes at the other end in a trice. 34 points in the game and only 2 points to beat the record!

Kareem's record could fall in just the 3rd quarter. Unbelievable!

We know the game is all about LeBron today but the Lakers could focus more on their perimeter defending. The Thunder are shooting 59% from the three-point line and maintain a healthy double-digit scoreboard advantage deep in the 3rd quarter.

James takes a break.

OKC 100-89 Lakers.

LeBron James is considered one of basketball's great passers of the game, despite closing in on the all-time NBA scoring record.

This week he surpassed Steve Nash and Mark Jackson to move into fourth in the all-time NBA rankings for career assists.

James allowed himself a moment to reflect with pride on that achievement on Tuesday.

"It's amazing. Because that's what I love to do - get my guys involved. Try to put the ball on time and on target through my career," James told AFP.

"Any time you're linked with the greats, it's a super cool thing."

(Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) shoots a jump shot against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena.

(Photo by Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

There it is! LeBron dribbles into the paint and gets the foul. He sinks the free-throw to complete the three-point play. 

25 more points to beat the record.

End of Q1: OKC 36-34 Lakers.

LeBron James still needs another 28 points to pass the record.

James gets two more points after a spin move at the rim. 28 more to go.

Soon after, Russell Westbrook misplaces a pass to a wide open Lebron. Moans and groans ring out. 

LeBron knocks down 1/2 free-throws.

32 more to go.

LeBron James' 38 355 career points have come from a staggering 11 807 two-pointers, 2 234 threes, and 8 039 free-throws.

Abdul-Jabbar only ever scored on three-pointer in his career. But it was a different time.

Three-pointer! LeBron scores his first points of the game with a three-point shot, to wild cheers from the crowd.

33 more points to get.

For the record: James is poised to break Abdul-Jabbar's all-time regular-season points-scoring record.

The four-time NBA champion already holds the record for the most playoff points of all time: 7 631. In second is Michael Jordan on 5 987 and Abdul-Jabbar is third on that list on 5 762 points.

LeBron James' other top 10 NBA records:

Games played: 10th – 1 409

Assists: 4th – 10 351

Steals: 9th – 2 176

Defensive rebounds: 10th – 8 924

Field goals made: 2nd – 14 040

Three pointers made: 9th – 2 233

Free throws made: 4th – 8 039

If LeBron beats the all-time scoring record against OKC, he would have achieved the mark in 150 fewer games than Kareem. Both managed it in 20 NBA seasons, ironically, both as Lakers players at the time.

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images via AFP)

'King' James poised for NBA scoring record crown                             

One of the oldest records in American sport could fall on Wednesday when LeBron James finally eclipses Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the most prolific scorer in NBA history.

For the best part of four decades, Abdul-Jabbar has owned the NBA's all-time scoring record of 38,387 points, mark that many thought might never be beaten.

Yet after a dazzling 20-year career, the 38-year-old James stands just 36 points away from finally passing Abdul-Jabbar.

Given he has averaged 30 points per game this season, the only question is where and when Abdul-Jabbar'a record will fall.

The Lakers host Oklahoma City on Tuesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday before hitting the road to take on the NBA champion Golden State Warriors. 

The most likely scenario is that James will claim the record at some point in the Lakers two midweek home games.

James has spent much of the season insisting that he has not been obsessing over the record, emphasising that his priority remains helping the Lakers turn around a campaign which is threatening to end outside of playoff contention for a second year running.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham reflected that mood while acknowledging that breaking the record would be "an amazing feat."

"When it happens, kudos to Bron for all his longevity and not just longevity, but longevity at the top of the list at an elite level," Ham said on Thursday.

"But our day-to-day, we hardly ever discuss it unless we're asked about it. For us, it's just, how can we get our team in the best position to make a run?"

Four-time NBA champion James has, however, been slightly more expansive in recent days as the record hoves into view.

'One of greatest records'

James said on Thursday beating Abdul-Jabbar's mark would be comparable to breaking the baseball home run record.

"I think it's one of the greatest records in sports in general," James said. "I think it's up there with the home run record in baseball. It's one of those records that you just don't ever see or think that would be broken."

Indeed, the NBA's scoring record has changed hands just once since 1966, when Abdul-Jabbar overtook another Lakers icon, Wilt Chamberlain, on April 5, 1984.

"I think most of us back then thought that record would never be broken," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of Abdul-Jabbar's record.

"So to see LeBron do it over 20 years is pretty remarkable and a testament to not only his ability but his durability.

"He's just a machine. He's healthy and a physical force night after night."

One area of intrigue surrounding James' record chase has been his relationship with Abdul-Jabbar himself.

The two basketball icons have had an icy relationship, which traces back to Abdul-Jabbar's public criticism of James.

Abdul-Jabbar has taken aim at James for issues ranging from the Covid-19 vaccine to his on-court conduct.

Abdul-Jabbar has walked back many of those criticisms in the past year, issuing an apology last April in which he said his remarks had been well-intentioned and misconstrued.

"We may not always agree, but I want to whole-heartedly apologize to LeBron and make it clear to him that I have tremendous respect for him," Abdul-Jabbar said.

James however indicated he was still bothered by the criticism on the eve of this season. 

Asked in October for his thoughts on the likelihood of taking Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record, and about his relationship with the Lakers grandee, James gave a curt response.

"No thoughts and no relationship," James told reporters. Yet Abdul-Jabbar, meanwhile, is keen to move on.

In a recent statement to CNN, he said he is looking forward to seeing James take ownership of the record.

"I've been carrying the torch as record holder for 38 years. I'm excited and relieved to pass it along to the next worthy recipient," he said.

"LeBron earned it, and I hope he carries it even longer than I did." 

- AFP.