LeBron James has, once again, made NBA history.
During Saturday game against the Washington Wizards, the Lakers forward surpassed Karl Malone for No. 2 on the league’s all-time scoring list. James secured the slot with a layup in the first half, giving him a total of 36,930 career points in 1,363 games. Malone has remained at the No. 2 spot since December 2000, when he passed Wilt Chamberlain with 36,928 points in his 19-year career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar currently leads the all-time scoring list with 38,387 points, which he secured back in 1989 before his retirement. James had been at No. 3 since early 2020, when he passed NBA legend Kobe Bryant (33,643 points).
After leading his team to a victory over Raptors on Friday night, James entered Saturday’s game just 20 points behind Malone. The three-time champion was asked about the likelihood of surpassing the Hall of Famer in a post-game interview, saying the milestone would be an honor for him and his hometown.
“I know I’ve said this over and over, but it’s just the truth of the matter it is,” LeBron told Spectrum SportsNet. “Anytime I’m linked with the greats it’s very humbling. It doesn’t make sense to me. You know, from where I come from and watching this league, watching this NBA logo, and so many great players to play this game. To hear my name ranked up there with the best, it’s a true honor for me and for my hometown of Akron, Ohio.”
During a recent episode of Uninterrupted’s The Shop, spoke about his status in the league and how he felt overlooked when it came to his scoring stats.
“I’m not like a natural scorer,” James explained. “I love getting my guys involved, I’ve always been that way [...] When they talk about the best scorers of all time, they never mention my name. It pisses me off. I’m not like a natural scorer.”
On Sunday, James became the first player in NBA history to reach at least 10,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.
