"I will always be the OG": Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes his feelings clear on NBA scoring record as he reflects on LeBron James' feat
LeBron James undoubtedly has one of the best resumes in NBA history, including breaking the long-standing scoring record. Saturday will mark two years to the day since James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record of 38,387 career points.
On Saturday morning, Abdul-Jabbar reflected on LeBron James' legendary feat while giving himself props in a heartfelt post on Instagram.
"Two years ago today, @KingJames broke my record and became the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
"I considered coming out of retirement to take it back, but then I thought, 'You know what - I'll let him have it.' I will always be the OG. Records are meant to be broken, and I'm glad it was broken by one of the greatest."
LeBron James set the record versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, sinking a fall-away jump shot with 10 seconds on the clock in the third quarter. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record stood since his retirement in 1989, lasting for 34 years until James broke it.
Over one year later, in March 2024, James eclipsed the 40,000-point mark for his career, becoming the first player in NBA history to eclipse the mark.
LeBron James joins Michael Jordan in record books versus Warriors on Thursday
On Thursday, the LA Lakers squared off against the Golden State Warriors, looking to extend their win streak to four games. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 120-112, thanks to a heroic performance from LeBron James.
James scored 42 points on 14-of-25 shooting, connecting on six of nine 3-point attempts. He added 17 rebounds and eightt assists in a near-triple-double effort. With his 42-point effort, he joined Michael Jordan as the only players to score 40 points at the age of 40
Jordan posted one final 40-point game of his career at 40 when the Washington Wizards faced the New Jersey Nets. Jordan scored 43 points on 18-of-30 shooting with 10 rebounds and four steals.
With the win, the Lakers eclipsed 30 wins on the season, winning 10 of their last 13 during their best stretch of the season. LA appears to be turning the corner at the right time and will only get better with the addition of Luka Doncic at the trade deadline.