Reaction from social media and elsewhere poured in after LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
“Congratulations to LeBron on breaking one of the most hallowed records in all of sports by becoming the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. It’s a towering achievement that speaks to his sustained excellence over 20 seasons in the league. And quite amazingly, LeBron continues to play at an elite level and his basketball history is still being written.” — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“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 honor to be the guy to pass it to him and cement his legacy!” — Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson.
“Congratulations (at)KingJames!!!! This man has been in the spotlight and burdened with the highest expectations since he was a teenager. And he’s done nothing but exceed those expectations and build a historic legacy. What an incredible accomplishment!” — Entertainer John Legend, on Twitter.
“We gave the keys to the whole entire business to an 18-year-old kid and now he’s 38 years old and he’s still dominating. I don’t think we should be surprised. I think we should congratulate him and celebrate him as much as possible, continue to enjoy the shows that he puts on.” — Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
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“Congrats (at)KingJames … legendary stuff right there #38388” — Golden State guard Stephen Curry, on Twitter.
“Congrats on the achievement! @KingJames, you’ve shown that we can do it at the highest level welcome to the All-Time club.” — former running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s career leader in yards rushing, on Twitter.
”I never thought anyone would break Kareem’s record. But being here tonight, knowing that LeBron would probably go on to break the record, and having Kareem here simultaneously, was an iconic night. LeBron James pretty much copied, but just enhanced the formula that Kareem had. … I don’t think anyone else will break LeBron’s record.” — Lakers Hall of Famer and Spectrum SportsNet analyst James Worthy.
“The most important individual record in the sport, a record that most people thought would never be broken.” — former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, now an analyst for TNT.
“This record says a lot about who he is and how multifaceted he really is. He’s an elite caliber of player. He’s one of one. We hadn’t seen anything like him before, his size, his athleticism, his shooting capabilities, his playmaking capabilities. And he’s all about team. That’s the thing that shines through.” — Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
“LeBron, he’s a confident man. He knows he’s a hell of a player. He knows what he’s accomplished. But he still has his humility. He hasn’t lost it.” — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
TOP PHOTO: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, scores to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey, center, and forward Kenrich Williams defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)