This past Tuesday, The Los Angeles Lakers’ Lebron James broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s career scoring record. A 14-foot fadeaway jumper over Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams resulted in an emotional moment for players and fans alike as James raised his arms upward in celebration.
Despite their rocky relationship in recent years, Jabbar was in attendance at Crypto.com arena to witness James surpass his 39 year record. James received praise immediately after sinking the mid-range jumper. The arena erupted and a celebration ceremony was held shortly after. Many fans found the timing of the ceremony a little odd as there was still over a quarter left of regular time. The Lakers went on to lose the game by three points.
Stars such as Chris Paul and Patrick Mahomes congratulated James for his “legendary” achievement, while legends such as Magic Johnson thanked Lebron for his achievements in Los Angeles.
In terms of the G.O.A.T. debate most still agree that Michael Jordan holds the crown. After his Documentary The Last Dance released on Netflix, many came to the consensus that Jordan was the better player, but in terms of stats Lebron James seems to combat that notion. As well as holding the NBA’s scoring record, James also garners more rebounds and assists than Jordan.
In spite of James’ statistical accolades, many claim that James’ longevity in the NBA creates an unfair comparison. The G.O.A.T. debate continues to be polarizing amongst NBA fans as Lebron quickly narrows the gap.
Lebron James is still healthy at 38 years old, so now the question becomes how far will he push the record? He is on track to surpass 40,000 points, and possibly create an “unbreakable” record.
