LeBron James has become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record

Words Phadria Prendergast

Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James hit 38 points in a 133-130 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder’s, surpassing former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's mark of 38,387, set in 1989, almost 40 years ago. James finished the game with 38,390 career points, which leaves only 7 NBA players within 10,000 points of his record — one of them being Shaquille O’Neal.

The accolade is the latest and probably the greatest in James’s career, especially after becoming a billionaire last year and being the first active NBA player to do so. Abdul-Jabbar initially broke the scoring record in April 1984, just eight months before James was born. "To be able to be in the presence of a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me, it’s very humbling," said James in a speech on the court after a break in play for a ceremony.

On Tuesday 7 February, an emotional LeBron lifted both his arms in celebration while 75-year-old Abdul-Jabbar, who was at the match, stood with the rest of the arena and applauded.

Abdul-Jabbar then handed over the ball to new record holder, Bron. Attendees who paid thousands to witness history first-hand included Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Corey Gamble, Bad Bunny, boxer Floyd Mayweather and actors Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson. LeBron’s two sons were also in attendance to watch their father break the record. Friends of the billionaire basketball player who included Steph Curry, Rihanna, Drake and Kendrick Lamar shared kind words about him in a tribute video.

It is widely believed that Bron’s record is unlikely to ever be beaten.