Lakers: Watch NBA's 2 All-Time Leading Scorers Celebrate LeBron James's Historic Night
Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame power forward LeBron James made NBA history tonight, besting what had seemed to be one of basketball's seemingly insurmountable records, Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
LeBron James has been looking to surpass the all-time NBA regular season scoring record of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for quite some time now. And he's been scoring in a litany of ways all over the hardwood. He's been surprisingly active from deep, having already shot 4-of-5 from long range.
"A record that has stood for nearly 40 years, which Kareem, many people thought would never be broken," Silver said. "LeBron, you are the NBA's all-time scoring leader. Congratulations."
Abdul-Jabbar handed James a game ball, in a symbolic representation of a torch being passed. Part of what made Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's legacy so special was its sustained excellence. He was just as ferocious and unstoppable a two-way force winning his fifth and sixth championships (for your Los Angeles Lakers, of course) in 1987 and '88, aged 40 and 41, as he was when he won his first, with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
The fact that James, at least on offense, remains about 95% of what he was at his athletic peak with the Cavaliers (the first time) and the Miami Heat, is a testament to the way he is pushing the limits of what the human body is capable of doing. How long can this guy keep going? Vince Carter still showed bursts of athleticism as a 43-year-old. Surely LBJ, who spends a fortune on preserving his physique, can do more.
James was serenaded by cheers of "MVP" from an appreciative Crypto.com Arena crowd, even as his 13th-seeded Lakers were en route to an eventual loss to sink five games below .500.
