New LeBron James Record — 2nd to score 38,000 career points

The greatness of LeBron James is difficult to express with ordinary statistics. However, some numbers are too significant to ignore. On the evening of January 15, 2023, “The Chosen One” surpassed 38,000 career points. Along the way, he beat the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O’Neal in NBA scoring. 

Ahead of him in this indicator in entire history, there was only one basketball player – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From the record of the eternal legend of the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Lakers, and the whole league, LeBron is now a little more than 300 points. 

How It Was

LeBron James conquered the achievement in the 2022/23 NBA regular season home game. The Philadelphia 76ers played against the Lakers at Staples Center. 

To break Abdul-Jabbar’s record, LeBron had only 11 points to chalk up before the starting whistle. Despite the excellent position of the opponent in the Atlantic Division, no one had any doubts that this figure was achievable against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Therefore, this match aroused great interest among betting enthusiasts. By the way, betting on similar events at the bookmaker www.bodog.eu/sports/basketball/nba is open to European users.

It didn’t take long to get the desired result. Already towards the end of the 1st quarter, “The Chosen One” scored the most crucial goal for the record in a jump, being close to the three-point line. A two-point shot brought his team a slight lead – 20:17. However, it was impossible to maintain and develop the advantage. The match ended with a score of 113:112 in favor of the guests from Philadelphia. 

Therefore, despite the historical success and good personal statistics (35 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds), LeBron was not satisfied with the evening. In a post-match interview, he lamented the failure to secure a win, even though the Lakers were able to put on some good basketball.

Relationship Between LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

As you know, the symbols of the past and present of the Los Angeles Lakers are not eager to communicate with each other. The last time LeBron was asked if he kept in touch with the star of previous generations, the basketball player was relatively straightforward. He stated that he had no communication or thoughts on this matter with Karim. 

Basketball fans remember the chronicle of one clash of positions between two legends in the media. During the coronavirus outbreak, Abdul-Jabbar said that LeBron should have shown more responsibility in the issue of vaccination against COVID-19. 

This opinion caused dissatisfaction with “The Chosen One.” However, this did not develop into a severe conflict: Karim apologized promptly, and the story was gradually forgotten.

Extreme differences in the players’ personalities speak in favor of the fact that no genuine rapprochement is expected. LeBron did not develop in the conditions that the stars of previous generations found. He is accustomed to the all-pervading attention of the media and communication with celebrities from other spheres. He understands well the importance of how he is represented on social networks.

The image of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is seriously different. His formation fell in the era of more brutal basketball. He was educated at the University of California, grew up during the civil rights movement, and is now a successful poet.

However, one can speak of an actual confrontation only in the context of the expected drop in the record. Despite their differences of opinion, both figures important to the NBA’s legacy show each other due respect and neutrality. Of course, whether their relationship will develop depends largely on their reaction to Abdul-Jahar to the fall of his record (if it takes place). 

When Will LeBron Break Kareem’s Record?

The official statistics of the NBA recorded that in the last match of his career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left the floor with a total of 38,387 points. After playing the Philadelphia 76ers on January 15, 2023, King James has accumulated 38,072 points. Simple arithmetic shows that at the time of this writing, LeBron only needs 316 points to beat Abdul-Jabbar. 

It is convenient to keep track of current changes on the ESPN counter, the indicators updated from game to game.

Basketball experts believe the record will fall even before the end of the 2022/2023 season in the NBA. Of the significant reasons that can prevent this, we can single out the absence of games due to injuries. 

What will happen if LeBron keeps up with the pace of scoring this season? Then the current performance record will be updated in early February 2023.

It is amazing how close and accurate the onset of this event is. LeBron admitted that before the start of the 22/23 season, he had to seriously think about how close he was to the milestone of 38,000 points. According to him, the pressure on him was added by the fact that most of the NBA audience at that time considered this mark unattainable even for King James. 

LeBron’s current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers ends in 2025. Will the debate about its effectiveness continue when this period expires? And if so, will the King, by the end of this period, have enough physical capabilities and motivation to fight the opinion of those experts who continue to challenge the significance of his sniper achievements? Regardless of the answers, great statistics will remain in history, which you can still increase.