LeBron James closed in on the NBA’s all-time scoring record, moving within 177 points of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark after scoring 46 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 133-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite the defeat, James made history by becoming the first player to score 40 points against every NBA franchise. The 38-year-old also set a career-high with nine three-pointers in the game, a feat unprecedented for a player aged 35 or older.
Reflecting on his performance, James acknowledged the Clippers’ strong three-point shooting, with the team making 19 threes during the contest. Paul George led the Clippers with 27 points, supported by contributions from Kawhi Leonard, who scored 25 points.
James now has 38,210 career points and is projected to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s record in approximately six games, highlighting his season average of 30.2 points per game.
Despite nearing this milestone, James emphasized that chasing records was never his primary focus, crediting his approach of simply playing the game.
The Lakers, meanwhile, faced their 10th consecutive defeat against the Clippers, trailing by 23 points at halftime and finally falling to 13th place in the Western Conference standings. Their next game is against the San Antonio Spurs, while the Clippers aim to continue their winning streak against the same opponent on Friday.