LeBron James passes Abdul-Jabbar to set all-time NBA field goal record
LeBron James has become the NBA’s all-time leader for field goals made, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing record during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets.
The 39-year-old converted a turnaround baseline jump shot over forward Zeke Nnaji late in the first quarter to reach the historic milestone.
That basket was the 15,838th of his illustrious career, moving him one clear of fellow Lakers legend Abdul-Jabbar.
A relentless scoring machine
James had already overtaken the Hall of Fame centre as the league’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023.
Since breaking that record with a step-back jumper two seasons ago, the forward has pushed his career total beyond 43,000 points.
Earlier in the current campaign, he also became only the second player in franchise history, alongside Kobe Bryant, to record 1,000 three-pointers for the team.
He also recently passed Michael Cooper to move into fifth place on the club’s all-time assists list.
‘His greatest hits are insane’
Speaking before the game in Denver, Lakers head coach JJ Redick compared the longevity and output of his star player to rock icon Bruce Springsteen.
“I’m a big Bruce Springsteen fan… LeBron’s greatest hits, he just keeps adding to them,” said Redick.
“He just plays and plays and plays. And the greatest hits are just… he’s got a hell of a catalogue.”
Closing in on games record
With the scoring and field goal records now secured, the four-time MVP is approaching another significant durability milestone.
James is currently second on the all-time list for games played with 1,606 appearances.
He trails Robert Parish’s record of 1,611 and is on pace to surpass the former Boston Celtics centre on 16 March against the Houston Rockets.