LeBron Breaks Kareem’s All-Time Scoring Record
Honestly quite impressive given the longevity of this record. Kareem also set it by hitting only 1 3-pointer in his career as well, which is nuts.
Many thought he’d do it with a skyhook but didn’t seem to get a chance and just took a fade away instead.
Hilarious that they stopped the game mid-quarter to honor him.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:31 AM ^
How many titles did Tristan Thompson get by riding Lebron’s dick after all?
February 8th, 2023 at 8:44 AM ^
Khloe!
February 8th, 2023 at 10:28 AM ^
As a Laker fan, I will not stand for this Lamar Odom erasure!
February 8th, 2023 at 12:35 AM ^
LeBron was SO hyped-up back when he was coming out of High School.
Incredibly, he exceeded (!!!) the hype.
Well done by him, he's earned it. Although, yes, they shouldn't have stopped the game with 0:10 left in the 3rd Quarter. Just play the 10 seconds out!
February 8th, 2023 at 12:55 AM ^
This cannot be stated enough. No athlete or celebrity has ever lived up to the hype without screwing up something in their lives. The worst thing Lebron has done is…. The Decision?
February 8th, 2023 at 1:18 AM ^
LeBron did try to trademark "Taco Tuesday." That was pretty absurd --- but he's also not the first Ohio person to try to trademark common words that start with the letter T.
As regards "The Decision", I never understood the scorn. The guy has been living under a microscope and living in Ohio for nearly his entire life, and he's still in his 20s. So he wants go down to Miami and try a new adventure in the sun on South Beach for a few years? Who could really argue that???
Besides, he of course came back to Cleveland --- and won a title. Any "debt" that LeBron did incur for The Decision, I think he paid it off in full.
February 8th, 2023 at 2:16 AM ^
"The Decision" was funny. I remember watching it with my friend in high school and thinking it was taking forever. Don't get the scorn either though; didn't it raise a lot of money for the Boys and Girls club too?
February 8th, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
I saw it as the equivalent to a high school football player recruiting cycle, then the live TV press conference with all the hats. No big deal; kids want publicity, too!
February 8th, 2023 at 9:17 AM ^
I can explain why (and i was a Cavs season ticket holder at the time). It was 2010 and Lebron was in his final year of his contract and pushed the Cavs hard to make a series of player moves that mortgaged the future for the here and now (does anyone else remember both Shaq & Ben Wallace were Cavs back then?) so they were going all-in for a Championship. Unfortunately they come up short against Boston in the semi's despite having the league's best record that year and the season ends. BTW - if you ever get a chance to watch game 5 of that series you wont believe it. That was the game right after the rumor surfaced that Delonte West has banging Lebron's mom Gloria and Lebron played like he wanted Boston to win.
Anyways season ends and now it's July. Lebron wont commit to the Cavs and entertains a series of presentations in Cleveland for his services but because he's doing it so late all the other desireable free agents that year were now gone with the exeption of Chris Bosh and there lots of rumors that Lebron was going to resign with the Cavs and bring Bosh with him. So that night when he announced he was "taking his talents to South Beach" it felt very much like it was a purposeful attempt to fuck the Cavs over by waiting until the last possible second to announce his plans AND do it on national TV to further humiliate the franchise. Which is why Dan Gilbert wrote his now famous Comic Sans open letter to Lebron the next day.
As you accurately stated, in 2016 he paid back in full any debt he owed the city for 2010. I will never forget those games (I was at game 6) and watched game 7 with my two sons (it was father's day) and we all cried tears of absolute joy when they won the game. Lebron clutching the Larry O'Brien trophy and screaming "Cleveland, this one's for you" was genuine and sincere and we all knew it.
I wasnt happy when he left again to go to LA but also wasnt nearly as upset I was in 2010. He delivered what he promised (and would've given us at least one more in 2015 had Kevin Love's arm not gotten ripped out of its socket against Boston in the semi's and then Kyrie's knee exploding in game one of the finals) so if he's happier in LA - good for him. But as a die-hard Cavs fan I will admit I do root like hell for the Lakers to lose so him breaking the record on the same night the Lakers lose at home to a shitty OKC team is pretty funny to me.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:17 AM ^
TL;DR version: You're a Cavs fan? You have my condolences.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
Really? The Cavs team that's been in 4 of the last 8 finals winning it all in 2016 and has the 4th best record in the east right now with a core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley & Jarrett Allen all under 26 and all under contract for three years or more, that's the team you think someone who roots for needs condolences for?
I mean granted, they dont compare to the consistent amazing greatness of the Pistons organization since 2015 but then again, who could?
February 8th, 2023 at 11:59 AM ^
Yeah, that was one of those "tell me X without telling me X" situations, where in this case X = "you don't watch the NBA."
The Cavs are one of the most fun teams in the league, which is a great mix of established bruisers (Bucks, Celts, Sixers, Clips, Nuggets) and deliriously fun up and comers (Cavs, Grizz, Kings, OKC).
February 8th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
but he's also not the first Ohio person to try to trademark common words that start with the letter T.
downvoted this just so I could upvote it again
February 8th, 2023 at 11:09 AM ^
Read this SI article (from the late Grant Wahl) from Feb 2002, when LeBron was 17, a high school junior, over a year from being drafted, and 1 year & 8 months from making his NBA start. The hype they placed on him is insane. And then there was the insane Bob Costas interview where he immediately opened with the ridiculous question below. The fact that he now has a legitimate argument to be the best player ever is insane. He lived up to it all and more.
”How does it feel to know that, if you’re not eventually a Hall of Famer caliber player, it’s not good enough to be good or an all star. If you’re not eventually a first rank Hall of Famer, a lot of people people will say you’re a bust or overhyped?” - Bob Costas
”How does that make me feel? We’ll I don’t look at it as looking into the future. I always take every moment at a time because you’re not promised tomorrow. And that’s what my mom brought me up on. And I just try to get better every day.” - LeBron
February 8th, 2023 at 6:17 AM ^
Incredibly, he exceeded (!!!) the hype.
I would say he lived up to it. He was on the cover of SI when he was like 16 and called the “Chosen One.” I’m not sure how you can exceed that?
February 8th, 2023 at 6:31 AM ^
Imo the worst thing he has done was his idiotic takes on China. The Decision was bad, but he was young and dumb.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:44 AM ^
On the other hand, it turns out he was early to over-hyped viral personal life decision thing way back when. Now that sort of behavior to have a big event to announce important life decisions such as revealing the gender of your baby, where you're going on vacation, and what you'll have for breakfast is commonplace.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
You're right about the 1st part that it was extremely ignorant and it was very self-centered and that he is only concerned about his sales of Nike shoes in China, however, this happened recently not when he was young so this was a completely calculated financial decision. So ok for him to speak out for social justice in the US, but go ahead and support a totalitarian government in China.
/no politics
February 8th, 2023 at 10:49 AM ^
logged in just to upvote EGJ.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
I mean, he is a very flamboyant Buckeye fan and often shows up at their football games. I’d consider that a very terrible thing he has done. Yuck.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:03 AM ^
I think LeBron's a good guy and means well. He's an ineloquent speaker, so some of his word choices come across weird (e.g., "taking my talents to South Beach," "global icon"). Probably sounds good in his head before he says it. If that's the worst thing about him, he's doing fine.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:10 AM ^
I’m not convinced about the “good guy” part, but definitely a great player and I imagine it’s hard not to become a bit warped if you’ve been deified since you were 15 years-old. But I will also point out that the record would still be Kareem’s if players had been allowed to go straight from high school to the NBA back in his day. He was certainly ready and probably would’ve added 7,000 - 8,000 points to his total. And for those too young to be aware, freshmen weren’t even eligible to play varsity when Kareem entered UCLA. But in a preseason game, his freshman team beat the varsity, who were the two-time defending national champions.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:19 AM ^
It was actually quite original as many now use the "taking my talents phrase".
February 8th, 2023 at 2:04 PM ^
Kobe originated it. In 1996, 14 years before the decision, Kobe famously announced he was going to skip college "and take my talents to the NBA".
February 8th, 2023 at 12:41 AM ^
ESPN+ had a decent article on how Lebron was not often mentioned mentioned as an elite scorer, in contrast with guys like Melo and Kobe.
Yet, now, dropping about 40 while playing on a bad Lakers team that he helped create, he’s closer to Kobe than ever.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:12 AM ^
He also has the most assists for a forward in NBA history. Not bad!
February 8th, 2023 at 9:23 AM ^
Depending on how long Chris Paul wants to keep going, LeBron could turn up second all-time in assists if he's serious about sticking around long enough to play with Bronny. Possible top five in steals as well.
February 8th, 2023 at 12:42 AM ^
That record has stood for a *long* time! I remember going to my HS bball games watching Kareem when he was also still a kid in high school. Back then? He was introduced as the Tower of Power. No one, absolutely no one, at any school could match up with him. My own school upperclassmen had nothing to stop him or slow him down in any way. 71 straight wins in HS.
Time flies.
For LeBron to catch and pass the Tower of Power. Wow, a testament to his superb and durable excellence. Congrats, big guy!
February 8th, 2023 at 1:35 AM ^
Wow. How old are you, sir?
February 8th, 2023 at 7:34 AM ^
Kareem is 75, so probably guessing OP is similar or alternatively spins a good yarn.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
Next milestone is 73. I'd bet NeverPunt about my age but no one seems to honor their bets on this board 😉
February 8th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
I’ll bet you a lemon that they do!
February 8th, 2023 at 11:52 AM ^
Nay, nay !! I'll stick to a hard currency wager. 😉
February 8th, 2023 at 12:55 AM ^
First 3 quarters tonight Lebron looked as good as he ever has. Pretty wild how high of a level he is still playing at with all those miles on his body.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
He writes off over $1M per year for expenditures on his body.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:21 AM ^
I can’t stand Lebron as a basketball player. With that being said, the fact that he’s been one of the most famous people in the world for the majority of his life without controversy is incredible.
it’s a testament to him and his circle. I couldn’t handle $100 when I was 18 let alone $100M
February 8th, 2023 at 2:17 AM ^
More of a Luka Doncic guy?
February 8th, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^
I’m team Jordan. I honestly cannot understand how people who watched both could even think about putting lebron above Jordan.
lebron’s a great player, but he just doesn’t have that heart, dawg, or killer instinct in him like Jordan, AI, and Kobe.
That temper tantrum against Boston is who lebron is. He is so used to getting every whistle that it’s like a great injustice when a missed call didn’t go his way.
Last ten years, I’d take KD and Steph over Lebron everyday and twice in Sunday.
February 8th, 2023 at 6:00 AM ^
I genuinely feel sorry for people that have spent so much energy hating LeBron as a basketball player. You missed one of the very best (the best, in my opinion) that you’ll ever see.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:15 AM ^
I never hated Lebron, never been a fan of his. To be fair, I've absolutely give credit where it's due, ie some off the court things he has done, namely the school he completely developed, funded and built to help underprivileged kids from his neighborhood.
I don't consider him the goat, imo it is and always will be Jordan. All time scoring leader doesn't mean much. As I see it, if Jordan wanted that he could have had it and it wouldn't have been close. I've never seen a player that competes as Jordan did on both ends of the floor.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:17 AM ^
While I agree and can appreciate that he is a great basketball player, I just can't stand to watch him whine all game long. Yeah I know lots of guys complain to the refs, but LBJ is much more over the top (see his recent meltdown after not getting a foul call).
February 8th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
What Izzo is to whining as a coach (world class), Lebron is as a player. Sill would vote him 3rd to MJ and Wilt Chamberlain, as the greatest player, but there is necessarily a great deal of subjectivity in such an evaluation.
February 8th, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
I also don't like comparing players that play totally different positions (let alone that played in different generations with totally different styles of ball). I think the argument should be who is the best big man vs. who is the best wing/guard, if you even want to have that argument.
February 8th, 2023 at 7:26 AM ^
Interesting article in The Athletic about the Lakers's coach Darvin Ham and his opinion about James and Jordan. I'll post it below but think it's paywalled.
Highlights:
• As a 19-year old rookie, James hung out with the Pistons during their 2004 championship run. Humble despite all the hype, according to Ham, James was soaking up wisdom from his "elders" about a winning team.
* It includes a great picture of Rip Hamilton and James stretching before a game, sharing a laugh.
• Ham was on that Pistons team, played against Jordan and James. Originally, he said each was greatest in his era. He also made the point that in a team game like basketball, we should compared greatest teams, not greatest players. Then at the end, he decided James was the greatest.
PS I looked up Ham, hadn't realized he went to Saginaw High School.
February 8th, 2023 at 8:45 AM ^
I like Lebron just fine. Congrats to him on a long, productive career.
It’s the fans who try to argue he’s better than Jordan was that grate on me.
Please let’s not start that fight here, I know I won’t convince anyone, and I know no one will convince me. I’ll agree to disagree.
February 8th, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
It's a little bit of apples-and-oranges. They're not the same physically and they don't have the same games.
Here's one area Jordan definitely wins: Mid-range scoring. Lots of his points came on difficult, contested shots from that part of the court.
But, I don't think he wins by every measure, and if you go off the court I think he loses.
February 8th, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
Midrange is not really part of the modern game.
February 8th, 2023 at 1:21 AM ^
Edit: nm
February 8th, 2023 at 1:25 AM ^
Incredible. Never thought I'd see Kareem's record broken.
Lebron changed his style over the years to largely dump the inefficient midrange jumper and go for the analytics-friendly 3s-and-layups strategy. It worked. Funny that he took a midrange jumper for the record.