On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) all-time scoring record of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain when he crossed 31,419 points. When he added another 7,000 points before retiring, that record seemed unbeatable.
For years, it became the holy grail of the sport, defying even the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It held for nearly four decades before smashing into LeBron James. And it got broken into pieces.
Nobody survives a collision with ‘The King’.
On Tuesday night, history was made in the NBA when the Los Angeles Lakers star scored the record-breaking 38,388th point. If there was a disappointment, it was that it did not happen in a trademark James style – a hard slam dunk – but the fadeaway two-pointer with seconds remaining in the third quarter of the match against the Oklahoma City Thunder was enough.
“I just want to say, thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please,” said James after the match.
“I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about.
“A lot of people wanted me to go to the sky hook to break the record or one of my signature dunks. But my fadeaway is the signature play as well.”
For the record, Lakers lost 130-133, but for once, it did not matter.
Abdul-Jabbar was in the stadium watching his record getting obliterated, and so were James’ whole family and a number of celebrities including Denzel Washington, Dwayne Wade, Jay-Z, Usher and Nike founder Phil Knight.
“I thought it had every chance of being broken. It just had to have someone that the offense focused on continually,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
“LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game. And it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated.”
The 38-year-old James, who was the first overall draft for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, is playing his 20th season. His first NBA point came as an 18-year-old versus Sacramento Kings on October 29 that year, which kickstarted a most amazing journey for the 6-foot-7-inch James.
His physical size itself was intimidating for the rivals, but James was also aided by power, insane speed and skill and a mind that mapped out a basketball court better than most other players. But what helped the most was how he managed to continue avoiding injuries in a sport that is known to be brutal on the body.
US President Joe Biden was among those who messaged James, saying: “LeBron, congratulations. With your whole heart and soul you broke a hell of a record. You elevated the game. More than that, like Kareem, Bill Russell and others who came before you, you challenged and inspired the nation to be better, do better and live up to our full promise.”
Twitter has matched the fan frenzy, as all-time greats congratulated the superstar. Here are a few…
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