When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired from basketball in 1989 with a harvest of 38,387 points in his 20 NBA seasons, many stars went through the League with the possibility of surpassing that unattainable mark. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and even Dirk Nowitzki. All great scorers, but none could reach that number. However, just over 20 years ago, a young man from High School broke into the best basketball in the world at just 18 years old. “Chosen-1” (the chosen one), reads a giant tattoo on the back of LeBron James, that will carry that phrase marked for life. And as if it were an omen, last night he became “the chosen one” to achieve the feat and take possession of that impressive record. Definitely, “The kid from Akron, Ohio” became a real man. His legend grows and there is no longer any doubt that he became part of the exclusive club of the best athletes in world sport.
On a night he’d dreamed of all his life, James scored 38 points in his team’s loss, the Los Angeles Lakers, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, by 133-130, and became the leading scorer in NBA history upon reaching 38,390 points. With 10 seconds left to go in the third period, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. And she did it in his style. On the 6th, the Lakers received the ball from Russell Westbrook, posted from the free throw line, spiked the ball three times and, with a small step back, shot to the basket to convert the double that allowed him to overcome Abul-Jabbar and become the record man. After the score, which will be remembered for all time, James ran back, opening his arms and with a smile on his face: he knew he had achieved a unique record.
As is customary in the NBA on these types of occasions, the game was stopped to acknowledge him. With the jubilant crowd in the stands and as LeBron embraced his wife, children and his mother, a short video reviewing much of his career played on the big screens at the Crypto.com Arena in The Angels. From there, a small tribute for the player began, which even included the presence of Abdul Jabbar himself. The legendary center, who also excelled in the Lakers, gave him the ball with which The King surpassed his mark.
First to speak was the league commissioner, Adam Silver: “Congratulations to LeBron for breaking one of the most sacred records in all of sports by becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.” Later, he expressed: “It is an impressive achievement that speaks of his sustained excellence during 20 seasons in the league.” Then it was the turn of the night star to speak that in the game he also had 7 rebounds and distributed 3 assists in almost 34 minutes played: “I always dreamed of this, but I never dreamed that it would be as big and as wonderful as what I am experiencing tonight. I’m speechless, ”expressed James, very emotional and very grateful to his family, while the cry of“ MVP! MVPs!”
Once James made the record double, social media began to erupt with congratulatory messages. Some from the basketball scene like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Also the franchises he went through, such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat and even the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who recorded a video with a message for him and his entire family.
Setting the NBA points record was a path that LeBron James began to follow as an 18-year-old boy making his professional debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 29, 2003. From there, 1,410 games of his entire career were enough for him. race to surpass Abdul-Jabbar, an emblem that had held that number since April 5, 1984 and with 1,560 games behind him, when he broke the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). During his career, The King James has an average of xx points per game and this season he exceeds that percentage with a mark of 30.00%.
According to StubHub, one of the legal resale sites in the United States, tickets of up to $30,208 were paid to see this historic match. These tickets are for those seats that are located at the edge of the court and those who purchased them had LeBron very close on what was his great night. There were also cheaper tickets in other sections of the stadium that are much cheaper. However, for those top placements according to StubHub, almost $400 was paid. No one wanted to miss the historic night.
The breakdown of points scored by LeBron in his magnificent career, according to the stats page Basketball reference, is the following: 23,119 in Cleveland Cavaliers, in 849 games; 7,919 in the Miami Heat, at 294 and there are 7,323 in the Lakers, where he has played 267 games. As for records, LeBron had already been hitting the table a few times, in his desire to show why he is one of the best basketball players in history. In March of last year, he became the first player in the NBA to reach 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists. In addition, last January 25, with the 46 points he scored against the Los Angeles Clippers, he became the first basketball player in the best league in the world to score at least 40 points against all the teams in the league.
At 38 years old, the legend does not stop. In his 20 years in the NBA he won four rings in the three franchises he played for (Miami Heat, twice, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers). In addition, he was chosen the MVP of the four finals in which he won with his teams (2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020) and was also considered the most valuable player of the regular season four times (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013). Another important fact for a basketball player in the NBA is to have been selected All Star, something that LeBron obtained 19 times, from 2005 to the next one, which will be on February 19, in Salt Lake City.
In his long and successful career that is still going strong, The King James has been capable of anything. His physical condition and his talent make him a totally complete player. His style and his ways make it possible for him to function easily and be a figure, playing in any of the five positions. Despite his physical build and his age, he never lost speed and dexterity. Perhaps his movements are not the most aesthetic, but through his power is where he makes the difference. To reach his 38 years and continue to be one of the best in the NBA, a lot has to do with his professionalism and discipline.
Mike Mancias, his personal trainer since 2003, told in an interview in 2020 that for the player to stay in shape, he invests close to a million dollars a month in what would be “his work tool”, the body. At his home in Los Angeles, he has a gym with state-of-the-art machines such as hyperbaric and cryotherapy chambers. That, added to the personal team of professionals, made up of chefs and physiotherapists. And everything has a reason. In an interview with the Associated Press, prior to the start of this season, LeBron James expressed his winning DNA, his competitive spirit: “I want to be the best of all time, it’s that clear and simple,” he had said. .
And there is still James for a while. If there was any doubt as to what would become of his future, in August of last year he doubled down and agreed to a two-year contract extension. This new link will come into effect from 2023/2024, in which he will earn $46,700,000, and it will also be for 2024/2025, in which he will reap 50,400,000, a fabulous sum, unprecedented for a player of 39/40 years. Therefore, the 97,100,000 dollars that LeBron will collect in two championships will make him the most paid basketball player in the almost eight decades of the National Basketball Association, with 528,992,480 dollars in mid-2025, according to a calculation made by the journalist Juan estevez. Since the Akron native will then have completed 22 seasons in the elite, he will have earned at the rate of $24,045,112 per contest. In terms of salaries, it is worth clarifying. Other income is not included.
The extension in his contract has to do with The King’s desire to play with his son, “Bronny” James Jr., in the NBA, something he stated on several occasions. Earlier this year, in an interview with ESPN, he explained: “I need to get out there with my son Bronny. On the same team or in a match against him. I ask him what his aspirations are and he tells me that he wants to play in the NBA so if he wants to do it, he has to work for it. Meanwhile, I’m already here, waiting.” Also, after last night’s game against the Thunder, he added: “I know I can play a couple more years… it all depends on my mind.” This could happen as of the 2024/25 season because Bronny must play one season in the NCAA (college basketball), due to a regulation imposed by the NBA.
Despite each milestone reached by LeBron James, that recurring debate about who is the best of all time will continue in the orbit of all basketball lovers. There are many candidates. Some of the most significant are the aforementioned Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, further back in time. Also, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Finally, the most contemporary legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The truth is that, with arguments for and against each of them, LeBron already has plenty of arguments to sit among the greats in NBA history. And also, in world sport.