• NBA The worst crisis of the Lakers: without victories and more problems than Westbrook

LeBron James

is already basketball history after becoming the most prolific scorer in NBA history, beating the record held by

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

for 39 years and long considered unattainable.

'King James' rose to the top by adding his 36th point with 10 seconds remaining to close the third quarter against the

Oklahoma City Thunder

, who ended up winning the game 133-130.

The loss continues to keep the Lakers out of the playoffs but it did not overshadow James' great night, who finished with 38 points and raised the record of his two-decade career to 38,390 points, above the 38,387 accumulated by the legendary Abdul-Jabbar .

The 19,000 spectators at the

Crypto.com Arena

in Los Angeles, including Abdul-Jabbar himself, LeBron's family and a collection of celebrities, stood up to cheer for the figure of the Lakers, who at 38 continues to grow an extraordinary palmares that places him in the debate of the best players in history.

The game was stopped when the score indicated a partial victory for the Thunder 104-99 to pay a brief tribute to James' feat.

This is "a record that has stood for almost 40 years and that a lot of people thought would never be broken. LeBron, you are the NBA's all-time scoring leader. Congratulations!" NBA Commissioner

Adam said.

Silver

, from center court.

A moved James to tears thanked Abdul-Jabbar, who accompanied him at the ceremony, his family and all the Lakers fans.

"I just want to thank the Lakers fans. They are unique. Being able to be in the presence of a legend like Kareem means a lot to me. Give the captain a standing ovation, please," James demanded.

"To everyone who has been a part of this race with me these last 20 years, I just want to say thank you because

it wouldn't be me without all your help, all your passion and all your sacrifices

to help me get here," he said.

"Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of something I've always dreamed of," he declared.

"Never in a million years would I have dreamed of anything better than tonight."

"There will never be another LeBron"

Since breaking into the league as number one in the 2003 Draft, LeBron has accumulated numerous individual records and has led each of the franchises in which he played to the championship, giving two rings to the

Miami Heat

(2012 and 2013) and one to the

Cleveland Cavaliers

(2016) and the

Lakers

(2020).

That last title with the Lakers ended a decade of drought for the most winning franchise in the NBA along with the

Celtics

.

With supernatural longevity, the forward averages 30 points per night this season (third best average of his career) but the deficit state of the Lakers prevents him from fighting to get close to the six rings of

Michael Jordan

, seen as his great rival for status best player ever.

LeBron's countdown to the record has captured the attention of the NBA in recent days and has brought together figures from music like Jay Z and Bad Bunny, from movies like Denzel Washington and from sports like Floyd Mayweather and John McEnroe.

Also present were James's mother, who raised him alone in a troubled neighborhood as a teenager, his wife and children.

"This historic moment is so special because we will never see another LeBron James again," the iconic

Magic Johnson

, also present on the court, wrote on Twitter.

"He's always been a pass-first leader whose ability to make his teammates better is unmatched, which makes breaking the record even more incredible!"

road to record

James missed his first two shots but got the first cheers going with a 3-pointer after five minutes.

The Lakers court was concentrating on enjoying another of their great nights while their team was shipwrecked on defense.

Still in the first quarter, James was inadvertently elbowed in the face by point guard Josh Giddey but, after hurting for a few moments, returned to the fray.

The first set closed with 8 points and the second started with two baskets plus an additional shot that unleashed the first

"MVP"

chants from the stands.

James had 20 points at halftime and, after talking with his sons

Bronny and Bryce

at halftime, he took the field determined to seal his record as soon as possible and put it within range with two consecutive triples.

After a brief respite on the bench, LeBron moved into third base with a drive to the basket and capped it off with a trademark swing shot that sparked euphoria on the court.

"Something legendary," wrote Stephen Curry

(Warriors) immediately on Twitter

, adding to the numerous reactions from his peers for the achievement.

The celebration did not change the course of the game and the Lakers ended up succumbing to the Thunder, led by

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

, who added 30 points.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • nba