By Yonatanne Desta ‘24
LeBron James has cemented himself in the history books with a scoring record no one will break soon. On February 7, 2023, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, and the achievement was celebrated around the world.
With 10:20 left in the third quarter of a close game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James backed up on power forward Kenrich Williams and hit a fadeaway to score 36 just beating Abdul-Jabbar’s record that marked his 38,387th career point. The assembled crowd went wild, and commentators noted the significance of this incredible moment when James broke the all-time NBA scoring record set by Kareem Abdual-Jabbar—a record that seemed unbreakable only a few short years ago.
In addition to the outpouring of support from LeBron’s peers, James felt a strong sense of pride when he became the all-time leading scorer for the NBA. His family was in the stands and the coach called a time out in the game after the momment so his wife and kids could congratulate him and witness his incredible feat. Reaching the record represented more than just a personal best, it symbolized LeBron’s distinguished career in basketball and how far he has come since being drafted out of high school.
Some might say this puts Lebron James as the G.O.A.T at basketball over Michael Jordan.