King, legend, GOAT contender

Historic moment: James hits a signature fadeaway jumper to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record. Photo credit: Getty Images

Different shades of great: Abdul-Jabbar was an all-out scoring machine while James derives great satisfaction from getting everyone on the floor involved on offence. Photo credit: Getty Images

LeBron James posted up at the top of the key, took one dribble and hit a slick fadeaway jumper to create history. With his signature move, James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) to become the all-time leading points-scorer in NBA history.

The game, where James’ Los Angeles Lakers faced Oklahoma City Thunder, was stopped to celebrate the incredible milestone. An emotional James was joined on court by his family, as well as Abdul-Jabbar.

In the post-match media conference, James explained that the weight of his achievement had not sunk in. He stated that it was a “surreal” feeling to be mentioned alongside Abdul-Jabbar and other greats.

“I’m a historian of the game. Guys like Kareem, MJ [Michael Jordan], Magic [Johnson], [Larry] Bird, Oscar Robertson, Elgin [Baylor] — I can be here all night talking about these legends. For me, it’s an honour to be named with the greats, and to be in the conversation with the greats. It’s a surreal feeling. We used to watch these guys when we were young, and now we are actually up here with them,” James said.

Unlike Abdul-Jabbar, James is not an all-out scoring machine. He is a consummate team man, who derives great satisfaction from getting everyone on the floor involved on offence. Only a couple of weeks ago, James overtook Steve Nash to climb to fourth on the all-time assists leaderboard. 

The top-three — John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul — were pure point guards, whose primary job was to pass the ball. It speaks volumes about James’ unselfish nature that a 6’9” power forward, armed with every offensive trick in the book, has joined this elite list. James is notably the only man in history with a top-five spot on both the assists and scoring charts.

Astonishing longevity

His astounding longevity is the key to his record-breaking spree. James, 38, is in his 20th NBA season and is not slowing down. He averages a shade over 30 points per game this season and is striving to drag his Lakers to yet another playoff appearance.

James, who reads the game brilliantly, has suitably adapted his style of play over the years. As a young star breaking through the ranks, he used his athletic prowess to slash his way to the rim.

As he became older, James traded the explosive drives for precise jump-shots. He learnt to effectively play in all positions — using his size at the post position, or handling the ball as a point guard to create plays.

James is known to pay close attention to his fitness, and the results are enviable. Since making his professional debut in 2003, James has been affected by serious injuries only on two occasions. In the 2018-19 season, he missed 17 games due to a groin strain, and two

years later, a sprained ankle forced him to sit out 20 games.

Right through his career, he has shouldered a heavy workload. At an age when most sportspersons have called it quits, James is still going strong. There is a good chance that he will go past Vince Carter (22 seasons) as the player who has featured in the most NBA seasons.

His durability took an amusing turn last month, when Houston Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. told James during the game, “You played against my dad [Jabari Smith Sr.] in your first NBA game ever [against Sacramento Kings].”

A surprised James laughed when the teenager added, “You feel old, don’t you?”.

This was one of many instances where James has taken on father-son duos, the other notable ones being Kenyon-K.J. Martin, Gary Payton-Gary Payton II and Glenn Robinson-Glenn Robinson III.

James has even mentioned that he wants to play with or against his son, Bronny James, in the NBA. This is not entirely impossible, as the 18-year-old Bronny, a talented hoopster, is eligible to join the NBA in the 2024-25 season.

Uplifting the community

Off the court, James has built an equally stellar body of work. Through his charity organisation, the LeBron James Family Foundation, the 19-time All-Star has invested millions of dollars to uplift disadvantaged communities.

James partnered with the University of Akron to provide a four-year scholarship to promising students. The LeBron James Family Foundation also opened the I Promise School, a public elementary school created with the Akron School Board to help struggling students.

James never forgot the hardships he faced as a kid growing up in Akron (Ohio), where his mother Gloria worked odd jobs to support the family. Using his fame and wealth to give back to the community brings more joy to James than winning games on the court.

Unlike most other high-profile sportspersons, James does not shy away from sharing strong opinions on social issues. He has condemned police brutality and supported National Football League player Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem at the start

of games, protesting police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

James’ recent ascent to the top of the points pile has reopened an old debate — is he the greatest basketball player of all time? Fans of Michael Jordan will take exception to this suggestion, but with each passing year bringing new landmarks, James’ case becomes stronger.

In James’ eyes, the answer to the GOAT question is clear. “I’ll take myself over anyone who has played this game,” a confident James said after making history at Los Angeles.