LeBron James na NBA all-time leading scorer

Lebron James

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Lebron James hold basketball afta im break di NBA scoring record

LeBron James don become di NBA all-time leading scorer.

James pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar long-standing record.

Los Angeles Lakers star James hit 38 points for dia 133-130 defeat to Oklahoma City Thunder to pass Abdul-Jabbar mark of 38,387, wey im set for 1989.

Abdul-Jabbar initially break di scoring record for April 1984, eight months before dem born James.

“To dey able to dey for di presence of a legend as great as Kareem, mean so much to me,” James tok.

Di 38-year-old, wey need 36 points to break di record, do so wit a fadeaway jumper at di end of di third quarter and im finish di match wit a career total of 38,390.

James wey bin dey emotional raise both of im hands in celebration while 75-year-old Abdul-Jabbar, wey bin dey di match for Lakers home court, stand and clap.

Dem break play briefly for small ceremony to mark di achievement, na dia James take microphone to make speech for court.

“Evri body wey don dey part of dis run wit me for di last 20-plus years, I wan say thank you so much becos I no go dey here without all of una. Una help. Una passion and sacrifices help me to get to dis point,” e tok.

“And to di NBA to Adam Silver, to di late great David Stern, thank you very much for allowing me to dey part of something I always dream about. I no go ever in a million years dream say dis go even better pass wetin e be tonight.”

Abdul-Jabbar do small ceremony to hand ova di ball to James to recognise im new record in front of fans wey bin dey cheer am.

Some of di pipo wey bin dey cheer am for crowd include tennis legend John McEnroe, music stars Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Bad Bunny, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and actor Denzel Washington.

“I feel say e dey possible to break di record. E just get someone wey dey constantly focused on offense,” na so Abdul-Jabbar, wey retire for 1989 tok.

“LeBron career na pesin wey plan to dominate dis game. You gatz give am credit for just di way im dey play and for di way him don last and dominate.”

Four-time NBA champion James dey im 20th season for NBA, afta dem draft am first overall by hometown team di Cleveland Cavaliers for 2003.

Di forward join Miami Heat for 2010, e win two titles, before e return to lead Cleveland to dia only NBA title for dia history for 2016.

Him don dey wit di Lakers since 2018 and e help dem win di 2020 title, wey also be di fourth time dem don name am as NBA finals MVP.

Two-time Olympic champion James don win four regular season MVP titles and im appear for di NBA Finals 10 times.

Abdul-Jabbar bin play for NBA for 20 seasons wit di Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers, during dat time e win six titles, six regular season MVP crowns and dem name MVP twice for finals.

Dem ask am afta di game whether im be di best NBA player of all time, James say: “I go let everybody else decide who dem think or just tok about it, but na great tok for barbershop.

“Me personally, I go put myself against anybody wey play dis game. But everyone go decide who be dia favourite.”

Analysis

Nesta McGregor, BBC Sport

Many pipo feel say e go hard to break, but finally dem don break am.

Lebron ‘King’ James don add new jewel to im crown.

For two decades him na di main force for NBA – e play for im home town team Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and now LA Lakers – e win championship wit each of dem.

Amongst all im achievements, dis fit dey considered as im greatest yet. Him don already overtake superstars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but for some pipo, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar long-standing record cements James’ status as di best ever.

Lebron still dey perform at di very top level. Him still dey average 30 points a game. So di ogbonge question now is how much longer im go fit kontinu?

As im celebrate dis achievement wit im loved ones, James don tok am bifor say him want hang on long enough to pay wit – or against – im eldest son Bronny wey be 18 years .

And who go bet against am?

NBA

BBC

James hold di records as di youngest player to reach evri significant points tally from 5,000 to 35,000.

E pass six-time NBA champion Jordan to fourth overall for March 2019 and late Lakers great Bryant to move into third all-time for January 2020.

James den surpass Karl Malone into second overall for March last year, a month afta im beat Abdul-Jabbar record for di most combined regular season and play-off points.

Di NBA official all-time scoring list only takes into account regular season points.

James, na19-time All-Star, score 23,119 points for 849 games for di Cavaliers during 11 seasons across two spells.

E score 7,919 points for di Heat for 294 games ova four seasons and now e get 7,314 points for 266 games ova five seasons for di Lakers.

James also dey di top-10 all-time lists for assists, steals, defensive rebounds, field goals made and three-pointers made.

‘You elevate di game’ – Lebron James tributes

US President Joe Biden: “LeBron, congratulations. Wit your whole heart and soul you break a hell of record. You raise di game. More dan dat, like Kareem, Bill Russell and odas wey come bifor you, you challenge and inspire di nation to dey better, do better and live up to our full promise.”

Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson: “I no tink say anybody go break Kareem scoring record. E mean more to myself and our fans becos you dey wear di purple and gold and break am as a Laker. Dis historic moment dey special becos we no go see anoda LeBron James.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: “Na tall achievement wey speak to im excellence ova 20 seasons for di league. E dey amazing, LeBron go kontinu to play for elite level and im basketball history dem still dey write am.”

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry: You don sustain your level of play for 20 years, to reach di height of scoring for basketball, e dey unbelievable. Way down di road, wen we reflect back on our careers, we go dey able to dey dat level knowing wetin e dey like to battle for di highest level.”

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant: “It’s even funny to just even say, you know coming from wia you dey come from, how hard you grinde for dis long. Na inspiration since day one. Much love and continue to set di bar high.”

Timeline of success

26 June 2003 – number one draft by Cleveland Cavaliers

30 October 2003 – e make im debut at di age of 18 against di Sacramento Kings, e record 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals

20 February 2005 – e make im All-Star Game debut, di first of im 19 appearances

7 June 2007 – first NBA Finals appearance for Cleveland, wey go on to lose to San Antonio Spurs

24 August 2008 – im win Olympic gold wit USA for Beijing Games.

4 May 2009 – im win di first of im four regular season MVP titles.

8 July 2010 – im join di Miami Heat afta seven seasons wit Cavaliers.

21 June 2012 – im win im first NBA championship wit di Heat and claim im first of four Finals MVP titles.

12 August 2012 – im win second Olympic gold for London Games

20 June 2013 – im become back-to-back NBA champion wit di Heat

11 July 2014 -im return to Cleveland afta four seasons for Miami

19 June 2016 – im leads di Cavaliers back from 3-1 down against Golden State Warriors to win dia first NBA Championship

9 July 2018 – im sign for Los Angeles Lakers afta four years during im second stint for Cleveland

11 October 2020 – im claim im fourth NBA title by beating di Miami Heat, also becoming di first player to win Finals MVP for three different teams

8 February 2023 – E pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA all-time leading points scorer