LeBron James: Timeline of Success, How Lakers Star achieved this feat Through the Years, The progression of NBA all-time leading scorers.

The NBA's new career scoring leader is LeBron James.

Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James increased his career tally to 38,388 points and broke the mark that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had held for nearly four decades with a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter.

Abdul-Jabbar became the league's all-time leading scorer on April 5, 1984, and he retired in 1989 with 38,387 points. He was one of many celebrities and athletes who made sure they were there to witness history.

It was a record that many believed would stand the test of time because so few others even came close.

Kobe Bryant was 4,744 points off, Michael Jordan was 6,095 points off, and Karl Malone retired 1,459 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron James Timeline: The progression of NBA all-time leading scorer.

Dec. 30, 1984 — LeBron James is born in Akron, Ohio.
26 June 2003 - drafted number one by the Cleveland Cavaliers
29 October, 2003 — James makes his NBA debut aged 18 for the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals in a game against the Sacramento Kings. He was 2,709th on the NBA’s career scoring list after that game.
20 February 2005 - makes All-Star Game debut, the first of 19 appearances
21 January 2006 — James scores the 5,000th point of his career in a game against the Utah Jazz. Overall 634th player in NBA history to do this.
7 June 2007 - first NBA Finals appearance for Cleveland, who go on to lose to San Antonio Spurs
27 February , 2008 — James scores career point No. 10,000, against the Boston Celtics.
24 August 2008 - wins Olympic gold with the USA at Beijing Games
4 May 2009 - wins the first of his four regular season MVP titles
8 July 2010 - joins the Miami Heat after seven seasons with the Cavaliers
22 November, 2010 — James passes Artis Gilmore (15,576) for 100th on the career scoring list.
21 June 2012 - wins first NBA championship with the Heat and claim first of four Finals MVP titles
12 August 2012 - wins second Olympic gold at London Games
20 June 2013 - He becomes back-to-back NBA champion with the Miami Heat.
11 July 2014 - returns to Cleveland after four seasons in Miami
19 June 2016 - leads the Cavaliers back from 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors to win their first NBA Championship
5 November, 2016 — James passes Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for 10th on the career scoring list.
Dec. 9, 2016 — James passes Elvin Hayes (27,311) for ninth on the career scoring list.
17 Dec, 2016 — James passes Moses Malone (27,405) for eighth on the career scoring list.
30 March, 2017 — James passes Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for seventh on the career scoring list.
1 July, 2018 — James announces he is leaving Cleveland again and signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
9 July, 2018 - signs for the Los Angeles Lakers after four years during second stint in Cleveland
Oct. 27, 2018 — James passes Dirk Nowitzki for sixth on the career scoring list.
Nov. 14, 2018 — James passes Chamberlain (31,417) for fifth on the career scoring list.
March 6, 2019 — James passes Michael Jordan (32,392) for fourth on the career scoring list.
Jan. 25, 2020 — James passes Kobe Bryant (33,643) for third on the career scoring list.
11 October 2020 - claims fourth NBA title by beating the Miami Heat, also becoming first player to win Finals MVP for three different teams
March 19, 2022 — James passes Karl Malone (36,928) for second on the career scoring list.
7 February, 2023 — James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) for No. 1 on the scoring list, ending nearly a four-decade run for Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading points scorer, A Record holder.