LOS ANGELES, February 8 ------ LEBRON James is the NBA’s new career scoring leader. With a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time), James pushed his career total to 38,388 points and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
James outstretched his arms, threw both hands in the air, then smiled. Abdul-Jabbar rose from his seat and clapped. The game was stopped as some members of James' family, including his wife, mother and his children, took the floor for a ceremony recognizing the moment. Abdul-Jabbar — one of many celebrities and sports stars who made sure they were there to see history — became the league’s all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984 and wound up retiring in 1989 with 38,387 points.
It was a record that some thought would last forever, with very few even coming close. Karl Malone retired 1,459 points behind Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant was 4,744 points shy, and Michael Jordan was 6,095 points away. James passed them all, then caught Abdul-Jabbar, too. He did it in his 20th season. Abdul-Jabbar also played 20 NBA seasons.
"To be able to be in the presence of a legend and great as Kareem it means so much to me," James told the crowd before thanking family, friends and fans. "Everybody that's ever been part of this run with me these last 20 years, I just want to say I thank you so much because I wouldn't be me without all your help, all your passion and all your sacrifices to help me get to this point."
James also paid tribute to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and his predecessor, the late David Stern. "Thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I've always dreamed about, and I would never ever in a million years have dreamt this even better than what it is tonight," James added before signing off with an F-bomb.
The Lakers however, did not win the game as the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to win 133 -130. With Lebron finishing with 38 points.
Source: spin.ph
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