A legendary record was broken by LeBron James, who now overtook Kareem Abdul Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. For many years this seemed unthinkable. Kareem’s lead on the all-time scorer tied with Beamon’s 8.90, which remained unbroken for 23 years from 1968 until Mike Powell broke it in 1991.

It took “The King” 20 seasons, one fewer than Jabbar, to reach the top. He started playing at the age of 18, now he’s 38 and puts his name at the top of a historical list of more or less the best players to ever walk the NBA courts.

Attention, whoever is the top scorer is not automatically the best. After all, there is no objective benchmark for the greatest player of all time.

Andreas Varikas, incurable basketball player, visionary of the ’80s Panionio and fanatical Boston Celtics fanatic, once referred to Magic Johnson as “the Katty of the NBA”. I think? Kostas Kattis was – back then – one of Peristeri’s playmakers who had a habit of putting a lot of trust in the ball on the ground. To annoy Magic fans, the evil spirit of the late Andreas came up with an unimaginable association and comparison that went down in history.

You could say that when the greatest of all time falls – especially in a team sport – what matters most is taste and certainly also the performance of each individual. The older ones liked Maradona (and maybe Pele if they caught up with him), the younger ones drank water in the name of Messi.

Such rumors have been around in basketball for years. That is, if LeBron has touched, if not surpassed, the legend of Michael Jordan with what he’s accomplished over the years on the court. Those who grew up with MJ disagree vertically and horizontally, those who started watching NBA when LeBron erased the exciting route believe the “kid from Akron, Ohio” is ultimately best. The goat.

He did not start as a goalscorer

All this and the specific conversation is of little importance, which will always lead to an eternal disagreement. Rather, it’s worth looking at how LeBron arrived at this incredible record and what he accomplished along with the +38,837 points he achieved in the regular season.

The immature but so promising pundit who enraged (and almost cheekily) entered the NBA twenty years ago is, of course, a very different basketball player at 38. The four championship titles and the same number of MVPs (in league and finals), but also the personal work of all these years, have formed a completely different picture from that of the “golden child” that has made Cleveland something different from most.. .indifferent city of USA.

We remind you that when LeBron started playing basketball, the pundits saw him as more of a creator than a mere goalscorer. It was also the problems he had in the distance (or in the still-still shots) that got him more into…Magic than Jordan.

In case you don’t know, 38-year-old James has already moved up to the 4th place among the NBA’s best passers. It’s good to remember, because since that genius forward, we’ve seen incredible hoops, buzzer-beaters, steals, cuts and some of the most…kinky passes a basketball player can inspire on the floor

By working tirelessly to correct his weaknesses, LeBron has also developed into a leading scorer, taking the ball for the final shot while previously scoring 40-50 points with characteristic ease. As Jabbar got closer and the record no one thought would be broken, the “King” with millions of followers and so many other sworn enemies got better and better year after year.

By passing Kareem, among others, LeBron is confirming his longevity in the league. After all, he has +1,400 matches, which puts him 11th in the relevant chart, another trait that also indicates his size. At 38, James doesn’t play like a veteran, he doesn’t hide on the pitch, he doesn’t do maintenance.

In his career, LeBron wonders if he’s lost 100 games. Typically, he bailed out in just 71 matches in his first 15 years. He credits his strong physique for that, luck certainly, but also the $1 million he spends on his body every year. His education, his recovery, the overall protection of the LeBron James product from the ravages of time is the subject of a separate scientific study.

The respected gymnasts, physiologists and others who work with him agree that there have not been many athletes with his own attitude in every training session. Whether it’s basketball or the fitness program, which she faithfully follows.

Over the years and hours in the gym, LeBron has improved everything. He became a great all-around forward, very athletic, explosive and just getting better. This is how his shot attempts spread before the game in Oklahoma. An amazing countdown from the NBA:

The chart shows the LeBron we’ve seen for years. An unbeatable superstar at drives, as he often goes over his opponent to score impressively in the basket. Gradually, however, he also improved his percentages, shooting from all angles, lengths and widths of the ground.

We’ll see it again in about 20 years(?).

When Kareem scored 38,387 points, LeBron was five years old. The massive jabbar, who made his legendary reverse the hallmark of an entire era, retired from basketball at the age of 42 after playing 21 seasons. The only one who came close was Karl Malone, second behind Kareem for years, third since LeBron passed him in March 2022.

Someone said that the title of all-time leading scorer isn’t the ultimate achievement and that without LeBron we wouldn’t be so concerned. But it couldn’t be anyone other than James. And of course the success is huge.

As the site wrote hoopshabit.com only 17 players in NBA history have +20,000 points, +5,000 rebounds and +5,000 assists. Given that LeBron has a year left on his contract at the end of next season, he will…have doubled his points as he will have scored 40,000 points! Additionally, as he said, his goal is to play at least long enough for his son, Brony, to show up in the NBA. And that is not expected before the 2024/25 season.

What does that mean; That James, with an even more terrifying record than Jabbar, will make his mark on the scorers list. The closest margin to LeBron, an active NBA player, is Kevin Durant, who has 26,684 points. He needs 6-7 seasons to overtake Jabbar but KD is now 34 years old.

If anyone can equal the record by staying healthy and playing at the same pace it’s Luka Doncic averaging 27.4 ppg. If he continues like this in 14 years, he’ll surpass Jabbar by the time he’s 37. Then it depends on how many points LeBron will have scored by the end of his career to see the great and terrible Slovenian all-time top scorer. If… he’s playing basketball until then, of course.

The message to the Lakers

Meanwhile, on the eve of the big record, LeBron made statements about the Lakers’ lack of interest in trading Kyrie Irving. Irrational; Why isn’t he reflecting on his accomplishment and suddenly remembering Irving? He might make it, but he’d be like a veteran bragging about his accomplishments and reminiscing about his NBA journey.

Except that LeBron isn’t a random veteran. He doesn’t feel like 38 years old, but he’s as ambitious as anyone. However, he is not comfortable with personal bests when playing on a team trying to make the playoffs. He wants to be a star player and claim titles. He sent a clear message to the Lakers, expressing his dismay at Irving’s move to Dallas. If he finds that the LA team isn’t keeping up with his “desires,” it’s possible he’ll broach the issue of his departure.

Eventually, LeBron James became who we know because his will to be first, his ambition that sometimes bordered on arrogance, created a different personality in world basketball. About points, assists, rebounds. Even the terrible record that was broken leaving the great Kareem in second place…

Listen to Spyros Kavalieratos and Haris Stavrou’s podcast on LeBron James: