BarcelonaMichael Jordan leaves little room for doubt, but LeBron James has earned the right to include his name in the debate about who is the greatest player in history. The Lakers star has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record to become the all-time leading scorer. The 38-year-old, who has four championship rings with three different teams, accomplished the feat on a memorable night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As in good Hollywood scripts, everything went as expected and the winger reached the milestone at the end of the third quarter.
The NBA stopped the game for 10 minutes to celebrate the feat. The previous record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who retired with 38,387 points, was set in 1984. The 75-year-old Lakers legend handed LeBron James the game ball in an image loaded with symbolism. “We thought this record would never be broken,” acknowledged Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA. LeBron James couldn’t hold back the tears. “Not even in my dreams could I have continued better,” he said. Magic Johnson has not missed the moment.
As usual this season, the Lakers ended up losing (130-133). James, who had to add 36 points to surpass the record, ended up scoring 38. “To think of the figure of LeBron James is to think of a monster of gigantic dimensions. He is an unrepeatable player, with a longevity that I do not know if we’ll ever see the NBA again. A record eater whose limit we never knew was. Today we know that surpassing Kareem’s mark, a heroic feat, was not, because LeBron’s decline has not yet come. The legacy of championships is one and it is non-negotiable. His last few years and failures distance him from the greatest in the battle of the rings. But in the statistical legacy, that of the eternity of numbers, it is his forever. I doubt very much that we will return to see a figure capable of being so great for so long in a row”, says David Sardinero, director of the magazine Basketball Giants.
“An extraordinary feat”
“The feat of LeBron James is fantastic, magnificent, extraordinary in the eyes of our generation, who have been able to see each and every point he has scored until he surpassed an unattainable myth like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Social media has questioned each and every one of the moves he’s made. He’s had detractors and absolute fans. We have to pay tribute to what we’ve seen, as it’s going to be very hard to see again. He’s earned everyone’s respect by being competitive and decisive for 20 years.” assures José Ajero, Movistar+ specialist.
“Off the slopes it’s a totem for African-Americans,” adds Ajero. Unlike Michael Jordan, who never publicly got wet for any social issue, LeBron James has become the great icon of a generation that has been able to raise its voice to denounce injustices such as racism.
