LeBron James will break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38-year-old record this week.
Bridge during the week LeBron James38, will finally pass the Los Angeles Lakers By Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the all-time leading scorer in basketball’s NBA. Abdul-Jabbar retired as a professional in 1989 and has since held the record for the NBA’s all-time scoring record with 38,387 points.
Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for twenty years. James has also played 20 years in the NBA and is now only 36 points away from Abdul-Jabbar’s record. James has averaged 30 points per game this season, so breaking the record is only a game or two away.
The Lakers host Oklahoma City on Tuesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday before taking on the NBA champion Golden State Warriors on the road. James will likely break the record in front of his home crowd this week.
James has had to answer questions about breaking the record numerous times this season. He has claimed that he does not feel any obsession about it, but that his main task is to help the Lakers to the playoffs. It looks threatening that James and the Lakers will miss the playoffs for the second season in a row.
Lakers head coach By Darwin Ham breaking the record would be an incredible achievement.
“When that happens, I take my hat off to James for his long career, and not just his long career, but staying at the top of the elite,” Ham said Thursday, according to the AFP news agency.
“In our daily life, we hardly even talk about it until someone asks about it. The most important question for us is how to get our team in the best shape.”
Quadruple NBA champion James himself has been talking a little more about the record in recent days, now that it is within his reach.
“I think it’s one of the greatest records in sports,” James said.
“It is comparable to the municipal record in baseball. It’s one of those records that you’d never think would be broken.”
The NBA scoring record has changed hands only once. Abdul-Jabbar surpassed the previous holder of the record Wilt Chamberlain’s April 5, 1984.
“Most of us thought that [Abdul-Jabbarin] the record would never be broken,” the Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.
“LeBron’s accomplishment feels incredible and is a testament to his talent and endurance.”
“He is simply a machine. He is a healthy and physical powerhouse night after night.”
LeBron and Abdul-Jabbar have had a rocky relationship in recent years. Abdul-Jabbar has often criticized James, but has also recently apologized for his words. Most recently, he said he expects James to take the record.
“I have carried the torch for 38 years. I am excited and relieved to be able to pass it on to a worthy recipient,” he said.
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