LeBron James as he approaches Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record: 'It's still mind-boggling'
LeBron James is on pace to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer this week
LeBron James is on track to make NBA history this week.
James should pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and become the league’s all-time scoring leader either on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder or on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
While he has already proven himself as one of the best players of all time, James told ESPN’s Michael Wilbon that the scoring title wasn’t something he thought he’d ever come close to.
“It’s still mind-boggling to myself … I’ve never said I wanted to lead the league in scoring or, for sure, never said I wanted to be the all-time leader in scoring,” James said on ESPN. “That’s never been a dream of mine, and to sit here and actually be on the brink of it happening, it’s pretty crazy.”
LeBron reflects on potentially passing Kareem's all-time scoring record:
"I've never said I wanted to lead the league in scoring ... For me to be in the company with such a prominent, dominant force like Kareem was, it's an honor." pic.twitter.com/TaNklVzXj4— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 6, 2023
James enters Tuesday’s game just 36 points shy of passing Abdul-Jabbar — who scored 38,387 points in his career. The record was set in April 1984, eight months before James was even born.
James has averaged 30 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game this season, which is one of the best stat lines of his two-decade long career. He put up 27 points in the Lakers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
While James and Abdul-Jabbar haven’t had the best relationship in recent years, Abdul-Jabbar is going to be in the stands at Crypto.com Arena to watch the Lakers this week. The comparison between the two players is something James recognizes, and makes the moment — whenever it comes — that much more special.
“To know what Kareem did throughout his career. We’re both ‘high school phenoms,’ as they put it on us … You guys, at 18, 19 years of age, you guys are the faces [of the NBA],” James said.
“For me to be in the company with such a prominent, dominant force like Kareem was, it’s an honor.”
