On February 7, LeBron James was able to pass the NBA all-time scoring record. In the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James hit a 21-foot turn-around that gave him the final two points to surpass the previous record of 38,387 points, set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In his postgame interview, James said to reporters, “I felt like I was sitting on top of the arena tonight.” After making history, the game paused for a short ceremony. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar were among those who came onto the court during the celebration. 

LeBron James was a Cavalier for 7 years, then was traded to the Miami Heat in 2010. He played there for four seasons before returning back to the Cavaliers for another four years before finally joining the Lakers in 2018. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former Lakers player himself, held the record for almost 39 years, according to the New York Times. “You gotta give him credit, for, just, the way that he plays to last and to dominate,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

By comparing his career to similar players of the past, FiveThirtyEight, a statistical analytics company, projects James to retire around 2026,  likening his career to NBA legends Karl Malone and former record holder Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

Undoubtedly, James’ dedication to his sport has resulted in his NBA highest scoring title and what he will do with his remaining time will shape the course of basketball history.