LeBron James: NBA’s new all-time points scorer ‘humbled’ at breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record | NBA News

LeBron James soaked up the reaction from the crowd, his team-mates and his friends, as he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time points record holder. It would be a feat that would once and for all cement his position along the NBA greats.

“I would never in a million years have dreamt this to be even better than what it is tonight”, LeBron James spoke after sinking the record-breaking floater late in the third quarter of the 133-130 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“It’s just a complete honour to be a part of this league, to be a part of some of the greats that ever played this game, and for me to be right there at the apex with them”.

James was congratulated first by Abdul-Jabbar himself. Though the pair have sparred off-court on issues not related to sport, they were able to put their differences aside to focus on this historic moment in basketball. Abdul-Jabbar, who watched from a court-side seat, made a special gesture of passing the basketball to James, as if passing on the torch, and thus extending his legacy.

LeBron was visibly emotional and touched by the act, stating “to be able to be in the presence of such a legend as great as Kareem, it’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please.”

The pair had spoken earlier in the year about what it would mean for the progression of the sport for the record to be broken – “one of those records that you don’t think will be broken” James had admitted. How things have changed.

Of course, Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t the only NBA great to applaud his achievements. Both Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson and Dirk Nowitski, greats in their own respective eras, were keen to pass on their congratulations too.

Players from within the league reacted within moments of the special shot, from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, to DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant, Kyle Kuzma and more. Former teams, the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers also wanted to commend their former team-mate. It was a moment nobody wanted to be missing.

Big stars from other sports like the NFL’s Patrick Maholmes, greats in their own leagues, were also able to share in the glory, aware of exactly what it had taken James to reach such a height, domestically, professionally, and at the highest level of the game.

Whether he, like Maholmes, considers himself as one of the greats on the back of this, is up for contention for fans, but not James himself.

He calls it “great barbershop talk”, and acknowledges that different people will have different opinions. But in his own mind, he is “the greatest”, and is “humbled” and “honoured” to be surrounded by some of the best players ever to have graced the court.