LeBron James will reportedly get the opportunity to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s top scorer in front of the former Los Angeles Lakers icon himself.
The 38-year-old is just 36 points shy of eclipsing Kareem after his 27-point outing in the Lakers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. James is expected to break the record in the team’s next skirmish against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Per Reuters, Kareem will be attending both the home games in the following week: The Thunder on Tuesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. The other plus is the fact that he will be able to do it in front of the home crowd.
It’s worth noting that James and Kareem share a rather icy relationship, especially with the latter being critical and vocal about many of the 38-year-old’s decisions over the years.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Gets Real On LeBron James Surpassing His Scoring Record
The center has been the record holder since 1984, and while there were speculations about how Kareem would treat James once his feat was surpassed, there was a rather surprising reply from the man.
Kareem said he wouldn’t dish out the same treatment Wilt Chamberlain did when James would become the leading scorer in the NBA.
“When I broke Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record in 1984 — the year LeBron was born — it bothered Wilt, who’d had a bit of a one-sided rivalry with me since I’d started doing so well in the NBA,” he wrote. “I don’t feel that way toward LeBron. Not only will I celebrate his accomplishment, I will sing his praises unequivocally.” (h/t AP)
Despite their differences, it’s a good sign that Kareem is making the move to watch James play and be in attendance when he does eventually achieve the milestone.
For James, it’s all about winning another championship, a stance he’s maintained each time the scoring record has been brought up. Only time will tell if that dream becomes a reality. Right now, all eyes will be on the veteran to achieve a landmark that was once considered impossible.
Source: https://fadeawayworld.net
