When did LeBron James break Kareem Abdul's record? A complete timeline to LeBron's entry into the 38k club for all-time points scored
LeBron James created history a week ago when he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38-year-old record to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. It was considered an unbreakable record by many. Abdul-Jabbar played for 20 years in the league.
Kareem broke the record, which was previously held by Wilt Chamberlain in 1984, six years before he retired. He played at a high level for many years, and for 38 years, the league didn't see other players match those standards.
James emerged as the star to do the unthinkable. He has been the most consistent performer for a player who has played 15-plus years in the league. James was also available, ensuring he took care of his body at every step, which helped him maximize his talent.
That contributed to him breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record when the LA Lakers hosted the OKC Thunder on Feb. 7. LeBron James entered the game 36 points shy of breaking the record. He passed the mark with a fadeaway shot at the end of the third quarter. LeBron had 38 points on the night.
A complete timeline to LeBron James' entry into the 38k club for all-time points scored
LeBron James scored his first points in the NBA on Oct. 29, 2003, in his debut game against the Sacramento Kings. He finished with 25 points, shooting 12 of 20 from the field.
After averaging 20.9 points per game in his rookie year, James significantly improved his averages in the following seasons. He averaged at least 27 PPG across his next six years in the league, breaching the 30 PPG mark twice, winning the scoring title in 2008.
That's when he raced toward the 10k career-points mark during the 2007-08 season. He did it against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 27, 2008. James was the ninth fastest to score 10k career points, achieving the milestone in 368 games.
It took "King James" another five years to reach 20,000 career points. LeBron was with the Miami Heat in 2013, one season after he was crowned as an NBA champion and a Finals MVP. He recorded the feat against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 16, 2013. He became the youngest player at 28 years and 17 days to record 20,000 career points.
LeBron James' pattern of taking at least five years to add 10,000 points to his tally continued when he scored his 30,000th point against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 23, 2018. He was in the final year of his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since then, he has added 8,000 points to his tally. Despite missing a large chunk of games since joining the LA Lakers in 2018, James was able to maintain his scoring average. Since the 2021-22 season, he has averaged over 30 points per game.
This helped James breach the 38,000 career-point mark earlier this year on January 16th against the Philadelphia 76ers. He became only the second player after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to score 38k career points in the NBA.