LeBron James became the leading scorer in NBA history on Tuesday ahead of the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, seizing the most prestigious individual record in American basketball, which he should strive to make unbeatable, as he counts well last a long time at the top. But the evening of “King” James was spoiled by another defeat for the Lakers, who are now in 13th position in the Western Conference.
It is a “fadeaway”, a successful shot by turning around, halfway through the second period of the Lakers against Oklahoma City, which suddenly stopped time, the match, the breath of some 20,000 fans, among including celebrities like Jay-Z, LL Cool J, John McEnroe, Magic Johnson and the wealthy who paid up to $24,000 for a courtside seat in a melting Crypto.com Arena.
Also, a necessary break was needed to celebrate this feat, certainly expected but finally achieved by the 38-year-old superstar, whom tears quickly invaded when his family and loved ones came to share the moment of emotion, immortalized by cameras and mobile phones.
“One of a Kind”
“Thank you to my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, my mother, everyone who has been part of my journey for the past twenty years and more,” he said. He did not fail to thank “the Lakers faithful, unique in your kind”. Without forgetting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who came to pass on the torch for the occasion. “To be in the presence of such a legend means a lot to me. This is a great lesson in humility, give the captain a standing ovation, please! »
Kevin Durant, Magic Johnson, Ja Morant, Steph Curry… All his peers hailed the feat of “King” James. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had set the bar very, very high, at 38,387 points, on the evening of April 5, 1989. The inventor of the “sky hook”, this signature rolled arm which did so much damage to opposing defenses set his record , after 1,560 regular season games. James will only have needed 1,410 meetings. The messages followed one another on the giant screens until the end of this match, the final result of which no longer mattered, such as that of Joe Biden to salute this achievement or of the children of the school he founded in Akron, his hometown.
James had nevertheless agreed last week to be aware of arrogating “one of the greatest records in sport in general, one of those which it is believed will never be beaten”. The facts back him up, as that throne has only changed hands once since 1966, when Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlain, now seventh on the all-time leading scorer list.