Watch LeBron James Shed Tears And Drop F-Bomb In Front Of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar After Breaking His NBA Scoring Record

Few would deny that LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Expectations were high for him when he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers at 18 years old, but he more than lived up to the hype. He’s made history time and time again but, last night, he accomplished what may be the biggest feat of his career. After months of anticipation, James finally broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387-point scoring record, a stat that stood for nearly 40 years. After hitting the impressive mark, James shed tears and dropped an f-bomb in front of Abdul-Jabbar – and there’s video of the entire address. 

The Los Angeles Laker claimed the hallowed record at the tail end of the team’s matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. King James solidified his place in the history books with a smooth fadeaway over Kenrich Williams. The star’s family and friends were all present to witness the feat alongside NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After the end of the quarter, Silver, Abdul-Jabbar and James took to center court for a ceremony that saw the 75-year-old vet hand a basketball to his successor. James’ tears were flowing before he gave the speech with the aforementioned f-bomb. You can see the moment in the video above.

LeBron James has dropped f-bombs in relatively cheeky ways over the years, but this one was prompted by raw emotion. I can’t even fathom what he must’ve been feeling at that moment. There’s always talk about who the true NBA GOATS are and, while many will continue to have their opinions, there’s no denying that James has only further cemented himself amongst them. As you’d expect, plenty of fans took notice of the major accomplishment, including a few celebrities. With that, Charles Barkley, Stephen Curry, Rihanna and Drake all paid tribute to James in a video shared by Bleacher Report. Take a look:

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Such kind responses are truly the icing on the cake for what was an incredible night. And on top of that, the game was attended by Denzel Washington, LL Cool J, Dwyane Wade and more, according to USA Today. A congratulatory message from President Joe was also played during the proceedings. Though the Lakers couldn’t pull out a win against the Thunder, I doubt too many fans were focused on that detail last night.

After that game, LeBron James officially has 38,390 points, per NBA.com, and it’s fair to assume that he’ll add to that number quite a bit before he calls it a career. Though he’s 38, he’s still playing at a high level and could easily remain in the league for at least another few years. During that time, basketball aficionados will likely continue to analyze his game and specifically compare him to the great Michael Jordan. For many, the jury is still out on who’s the most dominant (and who had the most impressive Space Jam victory). They may even discuss whether James’ bald look was as fresh as MJ’s. But it's clear that James has Jordan – who’s No. 5 on the scoring list – beat in this regard.

Of course, this record is still a reminder that LeBron James is reaching the end of his tenure on the court. For those who’ve grown up watching him, it’s hard to imagine a world in which he’s not playing basketball. But the businessman is already jumping into other ventures like film production. Aside from Space Jam: A New Legay, he’s produced other flicks and is even working on a high school biopic centered on his experiences.

It’ll be exciting to see what he does down the road but, right now, let’s just join him in celebrating this moment. There’s no way of telling whether King James’ new record will ever be broken one day but, just like he’s proven to us over the years, anything is possible.

For insight into the future hall of famer’s early days, stream the documentary More than a Game using an Amazon Prime Video subscription. You can also see him and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers, which is available to Hulu subscription holders.

Erik Swann
Senior Content Producer

Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.