It’s official since Saturday night and the 26 points scored by LeBron James in the Lakers’ new defeat, on the floor of Golden State. With 44,157 points on his counter, the “King” is the new top scorer in NBA history, ahead of the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
LeBron James number 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record stood only a few hours, or even a few games. To permanently erase his now legendary predecessor and dislodge him from first place in the standings, the number 23 Lakers superstar only needed 19 points. Despite the new defeat of his team, Saturday night in extremis on the floor of the Golden State Warriors (117-115), the “King”, 37 years old now, added 26 more to his maddening counter. He thus became during this meeting the best scorer in the history of the NBA, ahead of Abdul-Jabar, regular season and play-offs combined. It was on one of his three three-point baskets of this meeting (out of ten attempts behind the line), scored at the start of the second half, that the former Miami player, crowned twice (two years of suite) champion with the Heat before also being so for his return to Cleveland then with the Lakers in 2020 in the Orlando bubble, has officially climbed to the pantheon, with at this moment of the game for the native of Akron 44,152 career points, against 44,149 for Abdul-JabbarKarl Malone completing him, the podium with 41,689 units at the end of a final season with the Lakers when he had known only the colors of Utah Jazz since his debut.
In front of Bryant and Jordan
Greatness.
Give it up for the new All-Time Leading Regular Season and Playoffs Scorer, LeBron James ???? pic.twitter.com/zPlGGRhGXs
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 13, 2022
James, who has already increased his total to 44,157 points on Saturday (he scored 26 points against Golden State) sits at the helm of a Top 5 where two other legends also appear, the late Kobe Bryant (4th, 39,283 points) and the GOAT Michael Jordan (5th, 38,279 points), while Wil Chamberlain, another myth of the North American league occupies the 7th place, with 35,026 points and the first Frenchman in the ranking Tony Parker (23,518 points) appears in 37th position. To note that unlike the four-time MVP and All-Star, who is also the player in NBA history who has played the most play-off games (226), Abdul-Jabbar has never played, unlike his meeting successor of play in. And for good reason: the format did not exist at the time when the player who also made the good days of the Lakers was still the best in activity. He was then also the leading scorer. This is no longer the case. His coach Franck Vogel and the Lakers agree: He is the greatest”.
