“It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars” – Kareem set the record straight after LeBron passed his All-Time scoring mark originally appeared on Basketball Network.
For close to forty years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s all-time scoring record felt like something out of reach for almost any player who set foot in the association. The key word here is almost…
That 38,387 wasn’t just an ordinary number; it was proof of a guy dominating for so long that it felt like it was going to stay there forever.
LeBron James dared to chase it, and on February 7, 2023, inside Crypto.com Arena, Bron hit a smooth fadeaway over Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams in the third quarter to rewrite the history books. From that moment, the record that once seemed immortal belonged to someone else.
And as James went on to celebrate with his family, the biggest supporters of his throughout his career, the man whose name had been at the top of that list for so long stood there in the stands smiling and clapping. No matter how many tried to paint a whole different picture, Kareem looked at peace with what had just transpired.
The speculation about KAJ’s reaction
For months, there had been whispers that Abdul-Jabbar wouldn’t take kindly to his record falling. It wasn’t just fans speculating on social media either. Even Magic Johnson, Kareem’s longtime teammate and close friend, publicly wondered how The Cap would handle seeing someone else pass him.
And to be fair, the assumption wasn’t far-fetched. After all, the man stood alone at the NBA’s mountaintop for so long that it almost felt like that place belonged exclusively to him. It became a piece of his legacy, in a way, just like the skyhook.
But instead of letting others speak for him or letting the noise grow, Kareem did what he felt was best: he addressed it in his own words.
“In the months leading up to LeBron breaking my record, so much was written about how I would feel on the day he sank that record-breaking shot that I had to laugh,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote in a 2023 piece on his Substack.
“I’d already written several times stating exactly how I felt so there really wasn’t much to speculate about. It’s as if I won a billion dollars in a lottery and 39 years later someone won two billion dollars. How would I feel? Grateful that I won and happy that the next person also won. His winning in no way affects my winning.”
Kareem didn’t flinch
Those words came not from a man clinging to his past accomplishments but from one fully aware of what his journey meant and proud to see someone else continue building on the game’s history.
Records eventually fall, that’s just how sports work, but legacy is a different story. What Kareem did in his time doesn’t get erased just because LeBron moved past him, the same way LeBron’s moment doesn’t take anything away from the climb Abdul-Jabbar made to get there. The scoring title might have a new name attached to it now, but Kareem’s footprint on the game and on the culture of the era he defined is as deep as ever.
When that ball hit the bottom of the net to break his record, Abdul-Jabbar didn’t flinch. He didn’t cling to a title or turn it into some tired debate about legacy. His reaction made it clear — it was never about ego; rather, it was about two legends making their mark on the game we all love.
And the crazy part? The King is still adding to that total, fighting off Father Time night after night until one of them finally gives in.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.