It was Oct. 29, 2003. LeBron James played his first NBA game. The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Sacramento Kings, and James scored 25 points.
That night, there were 2,708 names ahead of him on the NBA鈥檚 all-time scoring list.
He鈥檚 caught 2,707 of them.
Only one person remains ahead of James on the NBA鈥檚 career scoring ladder 鈥� Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has been the scoring leader since April 5, 1984. His run is about to end, the crown getting passed from one Los Angeles Laker to another in just 1,326 more points.
鈥淭o sit here and to know that I鈥檓 on the verge of breaking probably the most sought-after record in the NBA, things that people say will probably never be done, I think it鈥檚 just super, like, humbling for myself,鈥� James said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 super cool.鈥�
The score: Abdul-Jabbar 38,387, James 37,062. At James鈥� career pace of 27.1 points per game, he鈥檚 49 games away from becoming No. 1; at James鈥� scoring pace last season of 30.3 per game, he would be 44 games away.
If James doesn鈥檛 miss games, the first target window is mid-to-late January. He'll become the most prolific scorer while being one of the greatest passers ever; James is seventh all-time in assists and should be up to No. 4 when this season ends.
鈥淥ne of the things that鈥檚 really amazing about LeBron is he鈥檚 such a willing passer and such a gifted passer,鈥� said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who coached James for four seasons (2010-2014) and two championships. 鈥淚n many ways, that鈥檚 one of his most unique, special qualities. And yet, he鈥檚 going to break the all-time record for scoring 鈥� and that can be a secondary skillset for him. That鈥檚 crazy.鈥�
Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons. James is entering his 20th season. They put up their points in different ways: James, for example, has 6,420 points in his career from 3-point range. Abdul-Jabbar has three.
Abdul-Jabbar's sky hook took the NBA by storm from the outset. He averaged 30.4 points per game in his first six seasons and 24.6 over his career, though managed only 14.1 per game over his final three seasons.
James hasn鈥檛 had a dropoff. He鈥檚 averaged at least 25 points per game in each of his last 18 seasons. Before last season, only one player 鈥� Kobe Bryant, who put up 22.3 points in 2014-15 鈥� averaged more than 19 points in the 19th season of his career. James averaged just over 30.
Put simply, no NBA player has ever been this good for this long.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always gratifying to know that the work that you put in can have results,鈥� James said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been a person that cheats the game. I鈥檝e always put the work in."
He acknowledged a few years back that he 鈥渃ould see鈥� himself catching Abdul-Jabbar, though stressed it wasn鈥檛 a priority. The Lakers, just two years removed from the 2020 NBA title, were a disaster last season and missed the playoffs. James鈥� goal is to get back to championship contention, as he seeks a fifth ring.
His work ethic still astounds those around him.
鈥淟eBron is not from this planet,鈥� first-year Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 for damn sure.鈥�
James and Abdul-Jabbar have had a challenging relationship. Abdul-Jabbar was outside of the Cleveland locker room during the 2016 Eastern Conference finals as James was jogging by. James stopped and the two shared a hug and a few kind words, then later that night James spoke of the respect he has for Abdul-Jabbar and others who paved the way.
Other chapters haven鈥檛 gone that smoothly. Abdul-Jabbar has been critical at times, though said earlier this year that he has 鈥渄eep admiration and respect for LeBron as a community leader and athlete. That hasn鈥檛 changed and never will.鈥� Recently, James said he has 鈥渘o relationship鈥� with Abdul-Jabbar.
鈥淥bviously, Kareem has had his differences with some of my views and some of the things that I do,鈥� James said. 鈥淏ut listen, at the end of the day, to be able to be right in the same breath as a guy that wore this same uniform, a guy that was a staple of this franchise ... and a guy that does a lot off the floor as well, I think it鈥檚 just super-duper dope.鈥�
They鈥檒l be linked all season, at least until the record falls. And that could serve as a refresher course for some fans.
seemed to introduce a younger generation of NBA fans about the greatness of Oscar Robertson. James closing in on Abdul-Jabbar, whose last game was in 1989, might very well do the same thing.
Robert Horry, the seven-time NBA champion who spent seven seasons with the Lakers and is now a broadcaster for the team, said he hopes Abdul-Jabbar benefits from the attention the chase will generate.
鈥淚 look at Cap鈥檚 record as better than LeBron鈥檚 record, because Cap didn鈥檛 shoot any 3s,鈥� Horry said, referring to Abdul-Jabbar by one of his nicknames. 鈥淲hen you look at what LeBron鈥檚 been able to do, it鈥檚 amazing. I鈥檓 not taking anything away from LeBron. But you have to look at what Cap did and be like, 鈥楳an, this dude put in years in college, then he went to the pros and didn鈥檛 shoot any 3s and played at a time where the game wasn鈥檛 sped up like it is.鈥� Cap鈥檚 record is amazing.鈥�
It is. But soon, it won鈥檛 be his anymore. James is about to become the scoring king and, barring injury, he extend the mark for years to come.
鈥淭he way he鈥檚 always been a student of the game, the way he鈥檚 taken care of himself, you always knew he was going to play as long as he wanted,鈥� Spoelstra said. 鈥淗e hasn鈥檛 slowed down. He鈥檚 like Tom Brady. He literally can play until he decides, 鈥楢ll right, I feel like doing something else.鈥� And I don鈥檛 see that coming.鈥�
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Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
