The 38-year-old from Akron, Ohio who was seen as a prodigy since a 15-year-old, finally surpassed the greatest NBA record of all time. On February 7th, 2023 Lebron James broke the All-Time scoring record previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem held the record for 38 years, and most people thought it would never get broken. Kareem’s longevity and long span of dominance are what people thought would never be replicated. Lebron James proved them wrong. 

Lebron grew up in a small home without any father figure. He lived with only his mom, who worked as hard as possible to make ends meet and allow Lebron to follow his passion. Growing up Lebron found a mentor in his basketball coach, Frankie Walker, who allowed Lebron to live with him so that he could focus on school and basketball. Lebron James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School for four years where he averaged 29 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. Lebron smashed records all throughout his high school career. He was the first player to win “Ohio, Mr. Basketball” four consecutive years, the first player to be selected as a “USA Today ALL-USA First-Team” three consecutive years, and the first player to win MVP in Mcdonald’s, Roundball, and Captain Classic All-American games all in one year. After a great senior year, Lebron James declared for the 2003 NBA Draft. 

After getting drafted 1st overall in the 2023 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lebron became acclimated to the NBA quickly by averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game as a rookie. He won Rookie of the Year and was the third player in NBA history to average 20+ points per game, 5+ assists per game, and 5+ rebounds per game as a rookie. By year two Lebron was already averaging 27.2 points per game and was an All-Star. Without any other All-Star worthy players on his team, Lebron struggled to make the playoffs as a Cleveland Cavalier. Even with his struggles to win big games he still won league MVP twice with the Cavaliers. He then teamed up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. They dominated and won two back-to-back championships. As a Miami Heat, Lebron averaged 27 points per game and won another two league MVPs. James’ ability to score and not sustain big injuries had him become a top-ten all-time scorer very quickly. 

After deciding to go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lebron won another championship. He continued to score over 25 points per game and contend for the championship every year. After four good years, Lebron chose to join the Los Angeles Lakers where he won a championship in the 2019-2020 season. Through the years Lebron got better and better at scoring, coming closer and closer to the record. On February 7th, 2023 Lebron James broke the all-time scoring record with 38 points. Once Lebron swished the shot that was the record breaker, the game paused and there was a ceremony. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passed down the record-breaking ball and Lebron was named the new holder of the all-time career scoring record. Being known as the “chosen one” since 16 years old Lebron had to go through constant adversity and he successfully overachieved. Lebron breaking the record silenced the haters and only helped to prove that he is one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball.

Lebron James’ career influences almost every upcoming basketball player in the world. At Quakertown High School the whole entire team grew up watching Lebron. Junior Varsity starting Small Forward, Gavin Mushrush talked about the importance of Lebron breaking the record. When asked how Lebron James has impacted his game, he responded, “Growing up Lebron James helped to mold me into the player I am today. Watching him made me fall in love with the game. I was always bigger than a traditional point guard but I loved dribbling and passing the ball. Lebron brought a wave of bigger players playing point guard. What Lebron has brought to the league changed everything.” The impact of Lebron has sparked a new generation of totally different players. One of the most dominant players right now is Luka Dončić who is a 6’7 point guard. He openly talks about how he modeled his game after Lebron James.

The argument of Lebron James’ impact compared to other players is an ongoing argument. JJ Reddick, a former teammate of Lebron James, who now works as an analyst for First Take Sports is very outspoken about Lebron. He argued with Stephen A. Smith that Lebron James is one of the greatest scorers of all time. He talked about Lebron’s longevity and how that relates to his dominance as a scorer. 

The impact on the league James has had isn’t a question. His pure dominance and longevity have encouraged a whole new wave of players. His story and perseverance have given kids who grew up in hard circumstances hope. The way he carries himself outside of basketball helps new athletes learn how to build a brand. Lebron James breaking the scoring record not only put him one spot higher on the list of greatest players to ever play but also moved him up as one of the most impactful players ever.