LeBron passes Kareem for NBA scoring record
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 in Los Angeles, 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 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.
Abdul-Jabbar held the ball aloft, then handed it to James, the ceremonial passing of the torch. They posed for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, then with one another. James wiped away tears from his eyes, then addressed the crowd.
“I just want to say, thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind,” he said. “To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please.”
James then thanked his family and those who have supported him, including Silver and the late NBA commissioner David Stern.
“I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I’ve always dreamed about,” James said.
MISCELLANEOUS Jackson-Davis, Indiana top Rutgers
Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 20 points to become the sixth player in Indiana history with 2,000 and the first among that group with 1,000 career rebounds, and the No. 18 Hoosiers beat No. 24 Rutgers 66-60. Jackson-Davis added 18 rebounds and six assists for host Indiana (17-7, 8-5 Big Ten). Clifford Omoruyi had 15 points for Rutgers (16-8, 8-5).
♦ Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock, limits on shifts and larger bases will not be used during the World Baseball Classic. The three innovations will be debuted during the exhibition season, which starts Feb. 24. The 20-team tournament runs March 8-21, and players will return to their clubs for more exhibition games with the new rules.
♦ U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is expected to leave the Biden administration to run the National Hockey League Players’ Association, according to two people familiar with his plans. The hockey players’ union has been searching for a new executive director to take over for Don Fehr, who had been in charge for more than a decade.