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Lakers News: LeBron James Explains What Drove Him To Break NBA Scoring Record

The 4-time NBA champion separated himself from the pack long before he got in the record books.

Noel Sanchez

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Few players in the history of the NBA can look back and say that their career accomplishments match that of LeBron James. Ten finals appearances, four rings, four MVP awards, 19 All-Star appearances, and most recently, the highest total points scored ever in the league all make up just the beginning of The King's resume.

However, this didn't just happen by mistake. Ranging all the way back to when he dawned the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school player to now as he is playing in his 20th NBA season, LeBron has dedicated more hours than can be counted into his craft.

When he has flown in for his signature tomahawk dunk or chased down yet another fast break layup for a block this season, it's easy to forget that James just turned 38 years old. Majority of professional players at that age take it easy and sit out numerous matches, but the Ohio native has played in 45 out of a possible 59 games this year.

Following a historic game against the Oklahoma City Thunder where LeBron took the throne from Kareem Abdul-Jaabar as the all-time leading scorer, he spoke about the tough journey it took to get him there in an interview with Lakers legend James Worthy.

"I've sacrificed a lot.. it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of things that you want to do but you can't do because you want to be as great as you can be", said James. "You want to be the greatest to ever play the game."

At this point in his career, James doesn't have much left to prove. There will be always be fans from the older generation that will stick by their belief that Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or Bill Russell is the best to lace them up. However, James has certainly solidified himself in the conversation and is just adding to his case at this point.

Following one of the greatest championships in history when James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first franchise title and a 3-1 comeback against the Warriors, he agreed that he felt he was the greatest to ever do it. Even though there will always be "the ghost in Chicago," James has set aside more than enough time to his game and has contributed to basketball in ways we may not even fully appreciate yet.

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Noel Sanchez
NOEL SANCHEZ

Noel is currently in his third year at California Polytechnic University of Pomona and is pursuing a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Multi-Media Journalism. He has always had a deep passion for sports and writing.

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