LeBron James Takes The Throne As The NBA’s All-Time Scoring Leader

The Buckeye state knew before anyone else, LeBron James was fit to be a King. Anointed as royalty with the very beginnings of peach fuzz forming on his face, the Akron native has dazzled and inspired generations for more than two decades since being proclaimed “The Chosen One” at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s.
 
Twenty years later, LeBron has amassed a trove of accomplishments, records and rings to support his overwhelming case within the GOAT debate. Tonight, yet another was added as he notched one of the game’s most hallowed achievements, ascending above Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the League’s all-time scoring crown.
 
Averaging at least 25 points in 19 of his 20 seasons in the League, putting the ball in the basket has always come naturally to the four-time champion, morphing into any form of a scorer necessary for the given defensive climate. But dishing the rock to his teammates and coordinating the court as the main maestro has consistently been one of the many rungs James hangs his hat on. Late this past January he surpassed Hall of Famer Steve Nash for fourth all-time in assists.
 
“I’ve never said I wanted to lead the league in scoring,” LeBron told Mike Wilbon on Monday. “For me to be in the company with such a prominent, dominant force like Kareem was, it’s an honor.”
 
LeBron’s mastery of all forms within the game like Avatar Aang has cemented the accomplishment into an upper echelon of sporting feats. Originally set in April of 1984 – eight months before LeBron was born – Kareem’s all-time record of 38,387 points remained untouched for 39 years until the Laker’s February 7th matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at home, during which LeBron eclipsed the record.

Evolving his game over time like a fine wine, LeBron’s consistent emanation of greatness has proffered an amalgamation of statistical milestones; earning 17 All-NBA and All-Defensive selections, dropping the most 20-point games in NBA history (1,136) and recently becoming the only player in League history to record 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.
 
Currently averaging 30 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game this season, the all-time scoring leader in the regular season and playoffs combined has all but one scoring title affixed to his belt.
 
Signing a lifetime contract with Nike over half a decade ago, LeBron’s 20th signature silhouette with the Beaverton brand is the perfect encapsulation of his prominence as a global icon. Debuting in a low-cut construction for the first time in his line’s history, the silhouette tooled for the next generation was specifically crafted with LeBron’s eldest son, Bronny, in mind.
 
Vying for more championships and elation from the game won’t be the only factor influencing LeBron’s will to play into his 40s, having long since held the stance that he won’t begin to ponder life away from the game until he gets the opportunity to share the court with his son – who ranks as the No. 28 prospect in the Class of 2023. The added distance he’ll create in that time between him and the next all-time scoring threat will be a nice additional bonus.
 
From the prodigious expectations placed upon his shoulders in Cleveland to The Decision to his chase-down block on Andre Iguodala and bringing championship glory to the Cavaliers and back to the Lakers franchise, James’ eminence has been cemented for years, headlining last year’s NBA 75th Anniversary Team. While he doesn’t boast the same defined signature shot like Dirk’s iconic one-legged fade away or Hakeem’s dream shake – no shade to the tomahawk jam – LeBron’s anointment as the most voluminous scorer in League history presents more than enough evidence to suggest his claim to the throne of the greatest scorer to ever take the hardwood.
 
“When they talk about the best scorers who ever played the game, my name never comes up. They have no choice now. They have no choice,” James said in a 2022 episode of The Shop” Uninterrupted.
 
In the meantime, LeBron’s proclamation in the GOAT debate that rages on in barbershops, cafeterias and social media threads has just received one of the greatest receipts to ever exist.