LeBron James has recently passed the scoring record against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a record that was previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There is no doubt that this was a huge accomplishment for the superstar, and he has added another statistical milestone to his resume. Though Michael Jordan is considered the GOAT by the majority of the public, many people think that LeBron James has a good case for the title, especially after his recent achievement. What is clear is that in terms of longevity, LeBron James is second to none. Breaking one of the most coveted all-time records in the league shows LeBron James’ dedication to playing at a high level even in the twilight of his career.
Prior to LeBron James getting the all-time scoring record though, there were a lot of other players that were the No. 1 all-time scorer in their careers. Ed Sadowski was the first-ever scoring leader with 18 points, but he only held the scoring record for a little bit over a month, until being passed over by Joe Fulks. A number of legends, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bob Pettit all held the scoring title prior to LeBron James, and there is a big list of elite players who have been the No. 1 all-time scorer. The record has switched hands a number of times throughout the history of the league.
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In this article, we will dive into the timeline of the NBA’s all-time leading scorers. Our journey will begin in 1946 with Ed Sadowski and go all the way until 2023 when LeBron James gets the scoring title and overtakes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The data used comes from an article on Sportsnet, done by the Associated Press.
November 1, 1946: Ed Sadowski of the Toronto Huskies becomes the all-time scoring leader with 18 points.
December 19, 1946: Joe Fulks of the Philadelphia Warriors becomes the all-time scoring leader with 366 points.
March 4, 1952: George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers becomes the all-time scoring leader with 6942 points.
October 23, 1957: Ed Macauley of the St. Louis Hawks becomes the all-time scoring leader with 10, 166 points.
December 1, 1957: Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals becomes the all-time scoring leader with 10,391 points.
December 11, 1963: Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks becomes the all-time scoring leader with 18,373 points.
February 14, 1966: Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers becomes the all-time scoring leader with 20,884.
April 5, 1984: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes the all-time scoring leader with 31,421 points.
February 7, 2023: LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers becomes the all-time scoring leader with 38,390 points.
It is crazy to think about this timeline, and how LeBron James has had to surpass other legends such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to get to this point. It is quite likely that James will finish with 40,000 or more points by the end of his career, and it’ll be interesting to see if his record ever gets broken. At one point, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record was considered unbreakable, but clearly, someone has managed to do it. Records are meant to be broken, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has already passed on the scoring champion mantle to LeBron James. This moment was a key part of basketball history, and it was definitely amazing to witness the occasion, whether one was directly present at the game or watching it on television.
LeBron James has managed to achieve something that is near-impossible, and there’s no doubt that his hold on the record might not be broken for a while. James’ durability and longevity have been incredible throughout his career, and he is still dominating at 38 years old with the Los Angeles Lakers. A player would need to have a similar level of durability and production to be able to get over 40,000 points. That is something that seems highly unlikely in the modern era, given the fact that stars often engage in load management during the regular season to focus on the playoffs. However, it is not absolutely impossible, and we will see what ends up happening in the future. Perhaps there will be another scorer who takes on the crown years from now to become the new scoring king.
Source: fadeawayworld
