LeBron James Passes Michael Jordan for 4th on NBA All-Time Scoring List
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James moved into fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list Wednesday, leapfrogging Michael Jordan.
Following his 14th point against the Denver Nuggets, James had 32,294 points since he entered the league in 2003-04.
Here is a look at the historic basket, as well as some of the reaction that followed:
Jordan is the third legend James has left in his wake while climbing the scoring chart this season. He moved ahead of Dirk Nowitzki in October and Wilt Chamberlain a month later.
The King appeared to be looking forward to passing His Airness before Wednesday's game tipped off:
More than 1,300 points separate James from Kobe Bryant, so he'll likely have to wait until next season before he jumps another spot.
NBA All-Time Scoring List (Top Five)
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points)
2. Karl Malone (36,928 points)
3. Kobe Bryant (33,643 points)
4. LeBron James (32,311 points)
5. Michael Jordan (32,292 points)
The importance of Wednesday's achievement is clear considering how much James has been juxtaposed with Jordan throughout his career. While his legacy may never surpass that of Jordan's, James will likely retire as no worse than the second-best player in NBA history.
During the 2017 playoffs, James passed Jordan to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA playoff history. He now has 6,911 postseason points and counting, although it appears as though he won't have an opportunity to add to that total this season.
As he was on the verge of overtaking Jordan's record for postseason points, James discussed how the Hall of Famer served as a point of inspiration when he was growing up, per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon:
"First of all, I wear the number because of Mike. I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just seeing what he was able to accomplish. When you're growing up and you're seeing Michael Jordan, it's almost like a god. So I didn't ever believe I could be Mike. I started to focus on myself on other players and other people around my neighborhood because I never thought that you could get to a point where Mike was."
Having the edge in both the regular-season and playoff scoring list doesn't mean James is better than Jordan, but it could serve as yet another jumping-off point in that conversation.
James' next step in the record book is bound to generate plenty of debate as well, especially in Los Angeles.
For many, James has already surpassed Bryant. In ESPN.com's February 2016 ranking of the greatest players ever, James was third behind Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while Bryant ranked 12th. James and Bryant were second and 10th, respectively, when CBS Sports unveiled its list of the top 50 players in February 2017.
But among Lakers fans, the dynamic is largely flipped. As much success as James may help bring the team over the next few years, Lakers fans may never deify him the same way they do with Bryant.
That's unlikely to change, even if/when James eclipses Bryant's career scoring mark.
