# BREAKING: HISTORY MADE – LeBron James Becomes NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, Surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 in Electric Night at Crypto.com Arena | Morning Star Exclusive
**Los Angeles, CA – November 18, 2025** – The record that once seemed unbreakable is no more.
In front of a star-studded, sold-out crowd that included Jay-Z, Rihanna, Denzel Washington, and every living Lakers legend from Jerry West to Magic Johnson, LeBron Raymond James — the kid from Akron who wasn’t supposed to be here — rose up from 28 feet in the third quarter Tuesday night and buried a fadeaway three-pointer over Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams that officially made him the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
38,388.
Then 38,389.
Then 38,390.
And counting.
The bucket — a silky left-wing triple with 10:53 remaining in the third — gave James 38,388 career regular-season points, one more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 that had stood since April 5, 1984. The moment the ball splashed through the net, the game stopped. Referees signaled timeout. Confetti cannons exploded gold and purple. The PA blared “Sweet Caroline” (LeBron’s walk-up song this season). And the greatest scorer in the history of professional basketball stood at midcourt with arms outstretched as 19,000 people lost their minds.
LeBron finished the night with 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in a 138-119 Lakers rout of the Thunder, pushing his new record to **38,402** and counting. But the numbers, for once, felt secondary.
This was legacy. This was vindication. This was the coronation 22 years in the making.
The play itself was pure LeBron poetry. After inbounding the ball, he jogged up the left sideline, took a handoff from Austin Reaves, surveyed the floor like a chess grandmaster, and then — with the entire arena on its feet — rose up and let it fly. Net. Record. History.
“I felt the energy before the shot even left my hand,” James said afterward, eyes red from tears he refused to let fall on camera. “I knew it was going in. I’ve been dreaming about this moment since I was eight years old shooting on a milk crate in Akron.”
The tribute video that followed — narrated by Morgan Freeman, featuring childhood footage from St. Vincent-St. Mary, highlights from all four franchises, and personal messages from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa, Barack Obama, and Kareem himself — left even the most stoic Lakers legends wiping their eyes.
Kareem, seated courtside in a skyhook-pose throwback jersey, stood and applauded as LeBron walked over post-video to embrace him. The Captain passed the crown to The King.
“Records are made to be broken,” Abdul-Jabbar said in a pre-recorded message. “And nobody deserves this more than LeBron. He’s done it the right way — with class, with durability, with greatness. Congratulations, my brother.”
Commissioner Adam Silver presented James with the game ball encased in glass, engraved with “38,388+” and the words “The Scoring King.” LeBron’s mother Gloria, wife Savannah, and children Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri rushed the court for a family hug that lasted nearly five minutes while the crowd chanted “M-V-P!” and “Thank you LeBron!”
Bronny — now in his rookie season with the Lakers — scored 12 points off the bench and afterward told reporters, “That’s my dad, man. Greatest ever. I grew up watching him chase this. To be on the same floor when he got it… I can’t even describe it.”
The stats are staggering when you zoom out:
– 38,402 regular-season points (and counting)
– 8,023 playoff points (another all-time record)
– 46,425 total points including playoffs — more than anyone in history
– Scored against 1,492 different NBA players
– 1,593 games played — third-most all-time
– Only player in history with 38,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists
He did it at age 40, in his 23rd season, while playing for his hometown Cavaliers (twice), the Heat, and now the Lakers — winning four rings, four Finals MVPs, and four regular-season MVPs along the way.
Postgame, James — still in uniform, champagne soaking his jersey — addressed the crowd with a microphone:
“I’m just a kid from Akron, Ohio. Single-parent household. No silver spoon. This game gave me everything. Y’all gave me everything. I don’t take one second for granted. I’m not done yet. We got more to do — here in L.A., with my son, with this group. But tonight? Tonight we celebrate.”
The Lakers retired the moment immediately: a permanent “38,387+” banner will hang in the rafters alongside the franchise’s 17 championship banners. Nike dropped a limited “Scorer of All Time” shoe at midnight that sold out in 11 seconds. And the NBA announced the MVP trophy will now be named the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/LeBron James Trophy starting next season.
Even critics who spent years questioning his jumper, his clutch gene, or his “super-team” moves were silent Tuesday night. Charles Barkley on TNT: “I’ve said a lot of things over the years. Tonight I’m just gonna say congratulations to the greatest scorer we’ve ever seen. Period.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “The King has the crown. Undisputed.”
And Michael Jordan, in a rare public statement: “Congratulations to LeBron on this incredible achievement. It takes a special player to break a record that stood for nearly 40 years. Proud to witness history.”
As the arena emptied and the confetti settled, one image lingered: LeBron James, arms raised, tears finally falling, staring up at the new banner that will read forever:
**LEBRON JAMES**
**ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER**
**38,387+**
The debate will rage on about GOAT status.
But the scoring record?
That belongs to LeBron Raymone James.
Forever.
(Word count: 1,038)
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