LeBron James Becomes the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer

The King has added another jewel to his crown. 

Tuesday night, LeBron James scored his 36th point on a jumpshot with 0:10 seconds left in the third quarter to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer broke Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387 points in his 1410th game, reaching the plateau in 150 fewer contests. In a career filled with magnificent accomplishments, the all-time scoring title may be the greatest of all for James. It signifies the ultimate goal of any athlete: greatness over a sustained period of time. 

The NBA’s new scoring king has refined an offensive arsenal that has no weakness. His field-goal percentage (50.5%) and three-point percentage (34.2%) both rank higher than Kobe Bryant (44.6%, 32.9%) and Michael Jordan (49.7%, 32.7%). James is within 450 defense rebounds of the 7-foot-2 Abdul-Jabbar despite being five inches shorter. He ranks fourth all-time in assists (10,338) ahead of two-time MVP Steve Nash, three-time MVP Magic Johnson and legendary Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. As if that weren’t enough, James is also one of only three players (Hakeem Olajuwon, Karl Malone) to produce over 2,000 steals and 1,000 blocks. 

Perhaps his greatest gift, however, has been his ability to dominate the NBA even at an advanced age. This season, James is averaging 30.2 points per game, the third-highest average of his 20-year career. The other two years were 2005-2006 and last season. 

James has played the same number of seasons as Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant, but by comparing his 20th season average to both of those players, his uniqueness of his dominance becomes even more apparent: 

• James (20th season): 30.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.1 APG, 50.5% FG, 77% FT, 36.5 MPG
• Bryant (20th season): 17.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 35.8% FG, 82.6% FT, 28.2 MPG
• Abdul-Jabbar (20th season): 10.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 47.5% FG, 73.9% FT, 22.9 MPG

While the Lakers certainly remain focused on ending their two-year absence from the NBA playoffs, it’s incredible to note that LeBron James was the catalyst for the Lakers 2019-2020 championship, their 17th in franchise history. He is one of only four players who have won a championship with three different NBA teams. Of those players (John Salley, Robert Horry, Danny Green), James is in a class by himself. 

This record was considered by many to be a truly unbreakable record. For the last 55 years, only two people have held the NBA scoring record: Wilt Chamberlain (until 1984) and Abdul-Jabbar. 

Maybe the best way to reflect on LeBron James’ magnificent career is perfectly summed up by his legendary Nike advertisement: We are all witnesses. 

And have truly been blessed.