Award-winning feat: LeBron James becomes NBA’s all-time scoring leader and gives heartfelt thanks to fans on live TV

There hasn’t been much to celebrate for Lakers fans this season, but tonight LeBron James delivered something special. On a pass from Russell Westbrook late in the third quarter, James unleashed his signature pull-up jumper and scored his 38.388. point, making him the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

‘He did it! He did it!” Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald yelled.

It was a televised moment when The King walked past fellow Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Jabbar to watch the record break. As soon as the basket was made, play stopped and James put on his signature smile as his sons Bryce and Bronny, daughter Zhuri and wife Savannah stormed onto the field, followed by a phalanx of cameramen.

Then Kareem and NBA commissioner Adam Silver arrived to present the ball to a tearful James.

“I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful,” said James and grabbed the microphone.

“To be in the presence of such a great legend like Kareem is very humbling. Please give the captain a standing ovation,” James said, referring to Abdul-Jabbar by his nickname.

James rattled off a list of people, including his wife, mother and children and the late NBA commissioner David Stern, before returning to fans.

“I just want to thank you because I wouldn’t be me without you,” he said and then ended with: “F*ck man. Thanks guys.”

It wasn’t exactly “Mamba, out,” but it was memorable and straight from the heart.

The 7′ 2″ Kareem played 20 years in the league – a remarkable longevity – and had a nearly unblockable shot in his arsenal, the Skyhook. Given these attributes, many consider his record for most points unbeaten by any others considered mortal But then came LeBron James.

Like his predecessor, James is also in his 20th season. While he’s not 7’2″ tall, the 6’8″ James — who conservatively weighs 250 pounds — is an unparalleled athlete, reportedly spending $1 million a year to keep his already remarkable physique in tip-top shape.

This decision paid off throughout James’ career. Over the course of his two-decade campaign, James reached the NBA Finals ten times, eight of them in a row. These playoff runs represent three additional seasons played on top of James’ 20-year regular-season career. Despite all this, he remained remarkably injury-free into his 30s. And he’s not done yet.

Although James has missed more games each season in recent years, his performance on the field is still remarkably high. In fact, James currently has his second-highest season average of 30.3, second only to his third season in the league when he was 21 and averaged 31.4 points per game.

While debates rage over who is the greatest player of all time, often centered around the number of championships won, James certainly excelled with his performance today. While many players have won multiple championships – which James has accomplished four times – there is only one leader who always scores. That honor now belongs to LeBron James.

All-time NBA scoring leaders