What did LeBron James say after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record? Emotional speech in full ends with, "F**k, man, thank you guys!"
LeBron James cut an emotional figure after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA scoring record during the LA Lakers' home game against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday.
James hit the record-breaking shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter. The game was then paused as the NBA honored James for his historic feat.
In an emotional speech, James dropped an "F-bomb" on national TV. Here's what he said in full:
"Thank you to the Laker faithful, you guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) means so much to me. It's very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to "The Captain," please.
"To my beautiful wife, my daughter, my two boys, my friends, family, my mother, man, everybody that's been a part of this ride with me for the last 20-plus years, I just wanted to say thank you so much, because I wouldn't be me without y'all.
"All your passion, all your sacrifices, helping me get to this point. And to the NBA, to (commissioner) Adam Silver, to the late, great (commissioner) David Stern, I thank you guys so much for allowing me to be a part of something I've always dreamed about.
"And I would never ever in a million years dreamt this even better than what it is tonight, so, f**k, man, thank you guys!"
@KingJamesWe are all witnesses 👏 @KingJames https://t.co/d2PsIFv0Ke
The magnitude of his achievement would probably give LeBron James the benefit of the doubt for dropping the "F-bomb" on live TV. The four-time MVP was overwhelmed by the respect and love he received leading up to the game and during the game on his historic night.
LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record but Lakers lose
LeBron James dropped 38 points on his historic night, shooting 65.0% from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. He had 20 points in the first half alone and 16 in the third quarter. James was efficient, making 12 of 18 shots from the field and 8 of 10 shots from the free-throw line until he scored his 36th point.
However, the Lakers lost 133-130 as the scoring king scored just one basket in the final quarter. The young OKC Thunder showed great poise to prevail on the road, especially with fans rooting for James to break the all-time scoring record.
The Lakers (25-30) trailed by 15 points at one stage and fought back, but OKC kept its composure to seal the win and the Lakers' playoff qualification hopes took another hit.