It's official: LeBron James is the only player in NBA history to score more points in a single season.
The Lakers forward passed Karl Malone for second place on the league's all-time scoring chart during Saturday's game against the Washington Wizards.
With a layup in the first half, James clinched the slot, giving him 36,930 points in 1,363 games.
Since December 2000, when he passed Wilt Chamberlain with 36,928 points in his 19-year career, Malone has remained at No. 2.
LeBron James moves to number 2 on the NBA all-time regular season scoring list. pic.twitter.com/4XJNlHBcfu
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 20, 2022
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.”
.@KingJames talks with @LakersReporter about Russ' three that forced OT and showing out in front of his good friend @Drake in Toronto. pic.twitter.com/2tfNudaDrO
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 19, 2022
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.
Assist number 10,000 for LeBron!
Assist number 10,000 for LeBron!
He’s the first player ever with 10K assists and 10K rebounds. pic.twitter.com/G4Gwqpbm3I
— NBA (@NBA) March 14, 2022
via: Complex
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