The King Stands Alone: LeBron James Breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA Scoring Record

LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time scoring leader.

LeBron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for most career points in the NBA on Tuesday night.

James, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 36 points in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points.

Since his rookie season in 2003, James has been a dominant force in the league, averaging over 27 points per game for 12 seasons.

With over 7,300 points in his time with the Lakers, he is on track to reach the 40,000-point milestone before he retires.

HISTORY.

With this bucket, LeBron James moves past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! pic.twitter.com/N6V5RxPe6r

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 8, 2023

Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance to witness the historic moment, 39 years after he set the record. Despite James' pass-first mentality, he now holds the record for most points in NBA history, including regular season and playoffs. He also ranks fifth in the NBA for both regular-season and postseason assists.

Four of the top five all-time scorers in NBA history— James, Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant — have played for the Lakers. Bulls legend Michael Jordan, at No. 5 on the list, is the only exception. 

Kareem just handed LeBron James the game ball…

Chills… 👑 pic.twitter.com/e17NYpRMHf

— Tavio Thrower 🏀 (@TavioThrowerNBA) February 8, 2023