Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Madison Williams

NBA World Reacts to LeBron James Becoming NBA Scoring Leader

LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 39-year-old record on Tuesday night during the Lakers‘ home game against the Thunder.

The 20-year NBA vet hit a fadeaway jump shot with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter, topping Abdul-Jabbar’s longtime previous record of 38,387 points. 

The Los Angeles crowd erupted when James made history, and the 38-year-old couldn’t hold back his emotions as he raised both arms after making the shot to acknowledge the applause.

The game was stopped following James’s historic basket for a brief ceremony, with Abdul-Jabbar and NBA commissioner Adam Silver joining James at midcourt. James then addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support, and thanked his family and friends for their support throughout his career.

James was expected to break the record this season when he started the season just 1,326 points shy of Abdul-Jabbar’s mark. It took him until his 44th game this season to break the record.

James’s incredible feat sparked reactions from various NBA stars on social media. Here are some of the best reactions from Tuesday night.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.