February 7, 2023, will go down in NBA history as the night that LeBron James scored point 38,388 in his career and surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA. James scored 38 points in the Lakers 133-130 loss to the Thunder.
38,388 POINTS
LeBron James hits the fadeaway jumper to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! #ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/P5LyTZAZn3
— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023
What LeBron James accomplished is just an incredible feat and speaks volumes of the hard work and dedication James continues to put in to ensure himself as the greatest and allows him to continue to play at a high level, even at the age of 38 in his 20th NBA season. James has been incredible this season as the nineteen-time All-Star is averaging 30 points per game, eight rebounds per game, seven assists per game, and one steal per game.
James has been the one actual bright spot for the Lakers, as it has been an enormous struggle this season for the team. The roster around James does not fit his style of play, and recent pickups such as Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley have not meshed quite well alongside the all-time great. Aside from that, James’ All-Star teammate Anthony Davis is a very inconsistent player due to his injury history, along with some games in which he is pretty much non-existent on the court.
Back to James’ historical achievement, it was a celebration for all basketball fans worldwide, whether watching in person at the Crypto.com Arena or at home on their television. As soon as James’ broke the record, the game was paused as a celebration began for LeBron on the court that included his kids, his wife, his mother, commissioner Adam Silver, and an iconic moment between him and Abdul-Jabbar, which contained Kareem passing over the torch to King James.
LeBron expressed after the contest that he believes he is the great player ever to do it and that he knows he has many years left in the tank to help any franchise try to win an NBA Championship. James’ use of any franchise rather than just mentioning the Lakers was something that really opened eyes. This is not a surprise to many as LeBron has grown frustrated over time with LA’s inability to bring superstars around him, and thus, it seems as if his patience is running out.
It makes sense that LeBron is frustrated, but at the same time, the Lakers have given him two All-Stars to play with in Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. Unfortunately, the fit between the trio has not been there since the team acquired Westbrook before last season.
Now, much talk may be had following this season and into the offseason as a possibility of a James trade request may be coming sooner rather than later, depending most likely on how the team finishes this current season, and we shall see if the Lakers decide to be aggressive ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
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