Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we’ve all been waiting for (or dreading, depending on how you feel about him), LeBron James has broken the all-time NBA scoring record. The record was previously set at 38,387 points by Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in 1984 while he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 31,419 points. It took over four decades for a player to close in on the scoring record, and is anyone surprised that it’s LeBron James?
James sits at the top of a list full of Hall of Fame players, with Abdul-Jabarr, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan rounding out the top five all-time scorers. While it was a momentous occasion, the Los Angeles Lakers still find themselves in thirteenth place in the Western Conference, thirteen games behind the top seeded Denver Nuggets. This season’s struggles being only the latest in the team’s grapple to climb back to the top of the league. The Lakers last made the playoffs in 2021, losing in the first round to the Phoenix Suns.
As for the team’s hopes for the future, the goal is to win another NBA Championship. Getting there is the real problem. Finding the right pieces to accompany James is where the Lakers are right now, moving a number of players before the trade deadline in hopes to obtain the right fit. As for James’ hopes for the future, one of his biggest goals after obtaining the scoring record is to have the chance to play with his eldest son, Bronny.
The eighteen year old point guard/shooting guard is a senior at Sierra Canyon School in California. Though his college decision remains unknown to the public, he has narrowed down his options to three schools: Oregon, University of Southern California (USC) and Ohio State. The latter school is where he is most predicted to choose.
Being that they just watched their father obtain the record for the most points, Bronny and his younger brother, Bryce have their work cut out for them. A legacy that looms as large as that of their father’s is no easy thing to carry, but it should be fun to see them both carry on in the family business.
Whenever we sports fans have the privilege of watching players set new records is a feeling like no other. It’s almost as if the sports world is at a standstill just long enough to appreciate what we are all witnessing, and no matter our individual feelings about the players, there is always a sense of respect for how they got to this point. James is one of the most storied athletes we have ever known and to watch him add this new notch in his belt is unforgettable.
There will never be another LeBron James, that's a given. Whether or not you agree that the longstanding debate about who the greatest basketball player of all time has finally been settled, we can all agree on this: The number to beat is now 38,390 and counting, which will stand for a very long time.
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