LeBron James is officially the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The Lakers superstar officially passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points logged in league history. James accomplished the feat against the Oklahoma City Thunder in front of a Crypto.com Arena crowd that featured a slew of celebs and former athletes, including Abdul-Jabbar himself.

It was a fadeaway jumper, not a skyhook ode to Abdul-Jabbar or one of his signature power dunks, with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter of a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder that sent James to the top of a mountain that Abdul-Jabbar stood on for more than 38 years at 38,387 career points.

James entered the game with 38,352 points, needing 36 to overtake Abdul-Jabbar. He finished the night with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting (4-of-6 from 3) to go along with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. As the game came to a halt to celebrate a record that so many thought would never be reached, an emotional James broke down in tears.

“I write ‘The Man In The Arena’ on my shoe every single night from Theodore Roosevelt,” James said afterward. “Tonight, I actually felt like I was sitting on top of the arena when that shot went in, and the roar from the crowd. I’m not sure if I would be able to feel that feeling again unless it’s a game-winning Finals shot.

What a night.#ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/hsvuOeiNgv

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023

“Everything just stopped. It gave me an opportunity to embrace it and look around and see my family, the fans, and my friends. It was pretty cool. I probably can count on my hands how many times I have cried in 20 years, either in happiness or in defeat. So that moment was one of them when I kind of teared up a little bit. It was ‘I can’t believe what’s going on’ tears.”

The game was stopped for about 10 minutes while James hugged his family, including his wife, mother and three children, and participated in a brief ceremony with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar, who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Lakers bench.

“A record that has stood for nearly 40 years,” Silver said. “Many people thought it would never be broken. LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Congratulations.” Abdul-Jabbar held the game ball aloft and then handed it to James, the ceremonial passing of the torch. They posed for photos with Silver and then with each other.

Abdul-Jabbar’s record had stood since April 5, 1984. James, 38, was born about nine months later. “LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game,” Abdul-Jabbar said in an interview with TNT after the game. “And it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated. He has that indefinable essence that they call leadership.”

James believes the key to his success is his desire to be true to himself. He honored those who came before him, but in the end, being himself helped him achieve this momentous accomplishment. Congratulations to LBJ!