LeBron James has been showered with praise after breaking the all-time NBA points record on Tuesday night, and even Michael Jordan has sent his congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers star.
The Lakers may have lost 133-130 to Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, but a 38-point game from James saw him overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record. James went into Tuesday's game knowing that 36 points would be enough to break the record of 38,387 points, and made the iconic shot as the third quarter came to a close.
Wild scenes followed at the Crypto.com Arena, and the love poured in for James from a whole host of A-list stars and fellow sporting greats. But up there with James for one of the biggest names in NBA history is Jordan, and he too has something to say.
"Congratulations to LeBron on this incredible achievement," Jordan said as James broke Abdul-Jabbar's record. "It’s a testament to his hard work, longevity, and his great skill."
The record lasted for 39 years, but now James will have his sights set on reaching the 40,000 point mark before calling time on his NBA career. The debate over who is the greatest player of all-time continues, but James has this record banked in his favour.
James feels that he is the best, although he admitted it's not really his decision to make. "I am going to let everybody else decide who that is or just talk about it - but it is great barber shop talk," the 38-year-old said.
"I am going to take myself against anybody that has played this game but everyone is going to have their favourite. I know what I bring to the table every single night and what I can do on the floor.
"I always feel like I am the best to ever play this game but there are so many great ones and I am just happy to be a part of it." Along with Jordan, Lakers legend Magic Johnson also sent his wishes, as he said: "Wow, never in my lifetime did I think I would see two NBA athletes score over 38,000 points!
"I still remember when my Showtime teammate, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, broke the record. It was an honour to be the guy to pass it to him and cement his legacy!"
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors also reached out via Twitter, as he posted: "Congrats @KingJames…legendary stuff right there. #38388."
Now that the record has been achieved, James will turn his focus onto getting the Lakers into the play-offs. They have a long way to go as their record sits at 25-30, but if anyone can do it, James can.
