LeBron James further cemented his legendary status in the NBA by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time leader in career field goals.
However, the historic achievement was tempered by a disappointing loss for the Los Angeles Lakers and a concerning injury to James's left elbow. The milestone occurred during Thursday night's 120-113 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
The record-breaking moment arrived with just 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter, as James executed a signature turnaround 12-foot jumper over Zeke Nnaji.
This basket marked his 15,838th career field goal, eclipsing the 15,837 baskets accumulated by Abdul-Jabbar, the iconic skyhook-wielding big man, during his 20-year career which concluded in 1989.
Karl Malone stands as a distant third in this elite category with 13,528 field goals.
Reflecting on his place among the sport's greats, James shared his long-held aspiration: "My name being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling and pretty cool. It's a pretty cool thing.
“I grew up watching and reading, idolizing a lot of the greats. And if I ever was able to be a part of the NBA, I wanted to be in position where I could be named with some of the greats by doing something right."
This latest record adds another significant entry to James's already unparalleled list of career accomplishments.
He previously surpassed Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer in February 2023 and holds the record for most points in playoff history.
A year ago, he also crossed the 50,000 career points threshold across both regular season and postseason games.
A comparison of their shooting statistics reveals Abdul-Jabbar, a low-post virtuoso, maintained an impressive career shooting percentage of 55.9 per cent, while James currently stands at 51.6 per cent.
James has also attempted considerably more field goals throughout his career, with 31,274 attempts, including over 7,500 three-pointers, contrasting with Abdul-Jabbar's 28,307 attempts, of which only 18 were from beyond the arc after the shot's introduction midway through his career.
The evening's triumph, however, was overshadowed by an injury to James's left elbow.
The incident occurred with four minutes remaining in the game when he collided with Nikola Jokic during a layup that momentarily brought the Lakers within four points at 110-106.
James fell to the floor, bracing himself with his right arm but injuring his left. Despite no foul being called – officials reportedly deemed the contact "marginal" – James described his elbow as "pretty sore right now. It feels like a funny bone situation."
He briefly exited the game but returned with just over two minutes left, though the Lakers ultimately could not overcome the Nuggets, who secured a wire-to-wire victory.
The injury clearly impacted James's ability to fully appreciate his record-breaking night, as he admitted, "I don't know, right now it doesn't hit me at all. Obviously, what I feel is my elbow and I feel the loss."
He further elaborated, "obviously, it's a pretty cool feat. But it's hard for me to kind of wrap my head around it and what it looks like. It's something, one, that I've never had a goal to have that record... but it's a pretty cool feat, it's an unbelievable feat."
Despite the physical setback and the team's defeat, James delivered a strong all-round performance, contributing 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, alongside a team-high eight assists, three steals, and a crucial block.
His efforts were instrumental in keeping the Lakers competitive after the Nuggets established an early 16-3 lead. Lakers coach J.J. Redick praised his star's enduring impact, stating, "he's been a complete player for 23 years... he's just a phenomenal basketball player." Denver's Nikola Jokic concurred, simply calling him "definitely a legendary player."
At 41 years old, James continues to defy the conventional limits of professional basketball, regularly setting new benchmarks for longevity and career achievements. Last month, he became the oldest player to record a triple-double.
His career now spans 1,606 regular-season games, placing him just five games shy of Robert Parish's all-time record of 1,611. He already holds the league's career record for playoff games with 292.
As James contemplates his future beyond this season, having been selected for his 22nd All-Star Game despite missing 18 games due to injury, his coach offered an insightful analogy.
Redick likened James's evolving career to that of music icon Bruce Springsteen, noting, "LeBron’s greatest hits, right? He just keeps adding to them. He just plays and plays and plays and the greatest hits, he’s got a hell of a catalogue."
This continuous accumulation of records and high-level play underscores James's unparalleled and enduring impact on the sport, even as he navigates immediate concerns over his health and the Lakers' performance.
Jayson Tatum expected to return to Celtics months after Achilles surgery
NBA star calls for Atlanta Hawks to cancel strip club theme night
Chris Bosh says he’s ‘lucky to be alive’ after ‘waking up covered in my own blood’
Doncic takes blame for call that shocked James in agonizing LA Lakers loss
Kevin Durant eyes more Olympic history as he targets spot on US team for
Beverly Hills apologizes to NBA star amid dispute over All-Star Game event shutdown
