Lebron James is recognized as the NBA All-Time Scorer as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passes on his title. Photo by Julia McIntyre
By Julia McIntyre Staff Reporter
Lebron James is a true legend who has taken over the game of basketball. An athlete with his amount of talent only comes around once in a generation. He has hit milestone after milestone, broken record after record and has continued to show us that he will not slow down anytime soon.
At age 38 and year 20 in the NBA, James continues to elevate his game and broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. He is one of the only athletes ever to age like fine wine; pushing the boundaries of his body to continue to be the star player we have witnessed since his rookie year.
Rewinding back 20 years, James did an interview at age 17 when everyone was comparing him to the greats: Kobe Bryant, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Michael Jordan. James said in the interview that it would be amazing if he were the athlete everyone would compare up-and-coming guys to in the future. Fast forward and it is reality. He is the prototype, the example, the beacon of talent at the top of the tower no one else can reach. ‘King James’ sat on his throne and received a crown no one can take from him.
When James led the Miami Heat to victory in the 2013 NBA Finals, he said, “I’m Lebron James from Akron, Ohio, from the inner city. I’m not even supposed to be here…every night I walk into the locker room, I see a number 6 (jersey) with ‘James’ on the back. I’m blessed.”
During his high school career at Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary (1999-2003), he was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball and led the team to three state championships. In his junior year, he gained attention from all over the U.S. after being on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The magazine labeled him as “The Chosen One” and soon after, he was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In his rookie year at age 19, James lived up to the hype and received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award while averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. From there, he led Cleveland to the conference finals in the 06-07 season. In game 5, he scored an unbelievable 48 points, and the game is one of the most prominent moments in James’ career.
When the legend played for Miami, he took the team to the NBA finals from 2011-2014. With his leadership, the team won two consecutive championships in 2012 and 2013. Outside of championships, James set new records for himself and Miami including the Heatsingle-game franchise scoring record of 61 points in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3 in 2014.
Now stationed in Los Angeles, we see James make groundbreaking moves daily. He led the Lakers to an NBA Championship in 2020 where he was the NBA Finals MVP. He has been named an All-Star 19 times throughout his career and selected to the All-NBA Team 18 times. James is also a leader in NBA career assists and is the NBA All-Time scoring leader.
The “Kid from Akron” is blessed with a gift. People are just as blessed to be able to witness his astonishing talent as he inspires young kids and adults from all over the world to chase their dreams.
