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Lebron James is 36 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Abdul-Jabbar finished his 20-year career with 38,387 points, a record that many thought could never be passed. However, after playing 1,409 games with a career average of 27.2 points per game, James is on the brink. He looks to break the record Tuesday as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 10 p.m.
36 POINTS FROM THE MOST POINTS EVER.
LeBron, Lakers vs. OKC at 10pm/et on TNT. pic.twitter.com/SQzXayNHSP
— NBA (@NBA) February 7, 2023
Before Tuesday’s game, James reflects on the scoring record and his career.
Lebron’s Thoughts on the Record
James said getting the record was never something he imagined himself doing. He said he never wanted to lead the league in scoring. To that note, he never said he wanted to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. However, he knew from the moment that he got drafted that he could play basketball at the highest level.
As he has gone up the list of greats and has gotten closer to top of the scoring list, James said he is honored to be in the same company as someone as dominant as Abdul-Jabbar. The current all-time leading scorer averaged 24.6 points per game and played for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lebron Remembers his Journey
When looking back at his career, James said the journey has been humbling and gratifying. The one thing he said he has learned throughout his career is to trust the process. James said it is important to not get frustrated during the season and to continue to try to build upon greatness every day.
At now 38 years of age, James said he feels good with where his basketball game is today. He is currently averaging 30 points per game and shooting 50.5% from the field. He believes he is more sharp mentally now than how he was a decade or even five years ago.
Even after all of the attention he has gathered from the scoring record, James continues to focus in on competing for an NBA championship. If the Lakers can be healthy and gain some momentum, he is confident that the ball club can compete against anyone.
