LeBron James

The King stands alone. For the first time in 38 years, the NBA crowned a new scoring leader, the man who had met and exceeded otherworldly expectations since the moment he set foot on a basketball court. With time running down in the third quarter of what fast became a celebration of a legacy, LeBron James buried the 38,387th and 38,388th points of his career on an unguardable fadeaway from the elbow. With those points, an emotional James eclipsed a record that had stood since April 1984 — eight months before he was born — doing so on the strength of a 20-point first half followed by a 16-point third frame that showcased the offensive firepower that burns as bright as ever 20 seasons into an iconic career. The four-time MVP, NBA champion and Finals MVP scored 38 points on 13 for 20 shooting for the Los Angeles Lakers in his record-breaking performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023.