National Basketball Association

How LeBron James became the NBA's scoring 'King'

Updated Feb. 8, 2023 5:19 p.m. ET

LeBron James lifted one foot at a time into an ice bucket in the Los Angeles Lakers locker room, groaning loudly with each effort.

"Now I can chill," he told his longtime trainer, Mike Mancias.

With James' place in history secured Tuesday night as the newly minted all-time scoring leader, he could finally exhale.

Over the next few minutes, James' sons, 18-year-old Bronny and 15-year-old Bryce, chatted with their father in the locker room, providing an extremely unusual peek behind the curtain.

"Which one of y'all is gonna try to break my record?" James asked his sons.

"It's gonna be two and three," Bronny quipped.

LeBron James becomes NBA's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The wait is over. LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Bronny then showed his father a video of the moment when James made the fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points and the record he held for over 38 years.

As they watched the clip, they both raucously laughed, seemingly knowing it was going to happen on what they referred to as "The fade."

"You got that saved?" James asked Bronny of the video.

It's funny because James recently said he had no idea how he'd feel when the moment came.

He was focused on winning. All the chatter about the record had seemingly become a distraction for a superstar who was laser-focused on digging his team out of the bottom of the Western Conference.

But just as James never thought he'd break this record, he never could've predicted the way he'd react after it happened.

"I probably can count on my hands how many times I have cried in 20 years, either in happiness or in defeat," James said after finishing with 38 points in the Lakers' 133-130 loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. "So, that moment was one of them when I kinda teared up a little bit. It was a ‘I can't believe what's going on' tears."

The moment James made history, he threw his hands up in the air and ran downcourt.

The game was then paused.

James embraced his mom, wife and three children at half court. He exchanged a long hug with some of his closest family and friends, including his business partner, Maverick Carter. Dozens of cameras encircled them.

Then NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the crowd, introducing James as the all-time scoring leader. James was doubled over as he stood next to Abdul-Jabbar. He then hugged Abdul-Jabbar, as a raucous MVP chant erupted.

Choking back tears, James took the microphone. He wiped his eyes. He bowed his head.

"Please give a standing ovation to the Captain, please," he said, also thanking his family and fans in his minute-long speech.

Afterward, congratulatory videos were played on the jumbotron featuring James' wife, Savannah, their three children and President Joe Biden.

James said he tried to stay in the moment throughout it all, but described the historic shot and the ensuing celebration as a "blur" and "surreal."

"I write ‘the man in the arena' on my shoe every single night from Theodore Roosevelt," James said. "Tonight, I actually felt like I was sitting on top the of arena tonight when that shot went in, and the roar from the crowd. I'm not sure if I would be able to feel that feeling again, unless it's a game-winning Finals shot."

The entire night was a spectacle.

The sense of anticipation in the air was thick from the get-go.

James entered Tuesday's game only 36 points away from the record. Two video boards displayed how many points he needed to surpass Abdul-Jabbar's point total — and when he got within 10 points, it turned red.

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At the top of the night, the crowd cheered every time James touched the ball. When he cut the chase to two points, the sold-out crowd of nearly 19,000 fans stood on their feet. And when James made the shot that made history, the cheers rose to a deafening level.

A who's who of celebrities looked on, including Denzel Washington and Jay-Z. Over 220 media members were credentialed. James was mic'd the entire game.

After the game ended, James acknowledged that he knew he wanted to break the record Tuesday.

"Well, yeah, because my boys leave on a red eye tomorrow night," James said, jokingly adding that he would've had to spend more money on a hotel room if his friends had to stay in town until the Lakers' next game on Thursday.

"No, but, tomorrow is not promised. And if I had an opportunity to do it tonight, and I was gonna try to make it happen. And I was still super efficient. I wasn't out there just gunning."

Amid a tumultuous season in which the Lakers are in 13th place in the Western Conference, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss was all smiles Tuesday.

"For people around my age that remember when Kareem broke the record back then, [broadcaster] Chick Hearn famously said, 'A record that will never be broken' because we couldn't imagine a player like LeBron," Buss told FOX Sports.

She knew her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers from 1979 to 2013, would've loved to witness the moment.

"My dad was always about evolving the game, growing the game and the NBA and what LeBron has done for our sport, our league, the Lakers, this is exactly what Dr. Buss would love to see," Buss told FOX Sports. "Not only is it important for the fans of the Lakers, but all over the world. It's a moment that we celebrate. It does feel a little like Christmas or a championship game. It's a really special night."

After the game, James talked to the media for 20 minutes. When asked if achieving the all-time scoring record makes him the greatest player of all-time, James said that's a debate that will go on forever in barbershops.

He then added his take.

"If I was the GM or whatever the case may be of a franchise I was starting up, and I had the number one pick, I would take me," he said. "But that's just me because I believe in myself, what I bring to the table, a guy that's been able to transform his game over the course of 20 years, be able to play any position in this league, excel at any position. I can play 1 through 5. I've led the league in assists. I've been able to do whatever it is this game has wanted me to do and also transform my game as well."

As James walked out of the interview room, his childhood friends were waiting for him, along with his agent Rich Paul and Carter.

James smiled and hugged them all. He laughed. He prepared to drink wine and celebrate with them.

"I'm not going to sleep tonight," he said as he walked away, having yet again made history.

Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.

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