The King Has Been Crowned: LeBron James Becomes All-Time Leading Scorer
On February 7, 2023, LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer surpassing Kareen Abdul-Jabbar's record that stood for nearly four decades.
LeBron James hit a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s nearly 40-year-old record of 38,387 points. James now sits on his throne atop the NBA as the most prolific scorer to ever live with 38,390 points and counting. This comes just days after he moved into fourth place on the all-time assists leaderboard. He broke this record in 150 fewer games than Kareem, with almost 4,000 fewer minutes and 500 fewer shots. His ability to score efficiently and consistently for as long as he has is something many never believed they’d see again in their lifetime with Kareem’s record seeming untouchable two decades ago when LeBron entered the NBA straight out of high school with as much hype as any player had ever received.
Learn more about our fantasy basketball tools and premium products!
James not only lived up to the hype, but he far surpassed what anyone could have imagined. He is not the league’s greatest all-around player as a pass-first forward who is now the league’s greatest scorer. LeBron also holds four MVP trophies and probably should have a few more as well. Beyond individual stats and accomplishments, he has also won four championships, all of which he was Finals MVP for, and has gone to a ridiculous 10 NBA Finals. With little left to prove or accomplish in his career, he still has shown no signs of slowing down. At the age of 38, he is averaging over 30 points per game with 8.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists. There are players who have won MVPs in their prime with lesser numbers.
When it comes to this scoring record there doesn’t appear to be an heir to the throne any time in the near future. The closest active player is Kevin Durant who sits almost 12,000 points behind him. KD is currently 34 years old and is currently sidelined which has become a usual occurrence over the past few years. He has only played 39 games so far this season while averaging fewer points per game than LeBron and over the three previous seasons he had missed 156 out of a possible 246 games. It’s very unlikely he will catch the King and it’s not even a sure thing he plays longer than James who is determined to stick around and play with his son.
We were all witnesses last night, and I really hope people are appreciating history and greatness as it unfolds in front of them and are grateful for the privilege we’ve been afforded in this generation to have watched all-time greats like LeBron, Brady, Serena, Tiger, Ovi, Sid, and the list goes on. Don’t get caught up in silly internet debates and ridiculous political narratives. Just enjoy the rare talent we all get to watch and appreciate it as a sports fan. It may be a long time before we see this record broken again and before we see a player as great as LeBron James.
Fantasy SP has worked diligently to bring you next-level sports betting analytics, prop betting tools, public betting splits, and so much more! Become an Edge+ member today!
#nba-news