LeBron James Recreates Wilt Chamberlain's Iconic Photo After Breaking Another NBA Record
By Chukwudi Onyewuchi on December 21, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST
LeBron James added yet another record to his illustrious NBA career and celebrated the milestone by bringing back memories created by another NBA legend, Wilt Chamberlain.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar became the league's all-time leader in regular season minutes played, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the leaderboard after helping his team defeat the Sacramento Kings.
LeBron created another piece of history earlier in the season when he and his son Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.
LeBron James Is NBA's All-Time Leader In Minutes Played
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 113-100 at Golden 1 Center. LeBron, who played 34 minutes, finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
LeBron's game statistics wouldn't have raised eyebrows, as fans have gotten used to his stellar performances throughout his career. However, his time on the court helped him set another NBA record.
The 39-year-old's 34 minutes boosted his career total to 57,471, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 57,446 minutes and making him the NBA's all-time leader in minutes played.
LeBron James Celebrates New Milestone By Trolling Fans
A day after setting another NBA record, LeBron took to his Instagram page to express his gratitude. The Lakers star recreated Wilt Chamberlain's iconic 1962 photo.
Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors (now Golden State Warriors) in their 169-147 win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, setting the NBA's single-game scoring record. The Warriors' center celebrated afterward by posing for the cameras while holding a piece of paper with "100" written on it.
In his post, LeBron shared a photo of him holding a piece of paper. However, instead of "100" on the box score, King James wrote "1 Billion mins" to represent his total minutes played in the NBA.
In the post's caption, LeBron expressed gratitude and some comic relief to go with it. He wrote, "Last night became the NBA All-Time Leader in Minutes! Crazy to even think about! Very thankful and blessed! Been a helluva ride. 1 million minutes Wilt style!"
Fans' Reaction To LeBron James' Post
It didn't take long for fans to catch on to Lebron's joke, and many took to his post's comment section to share their thoughts. One fan referenced LeBron's longevity in the NBA by writing, "That's 1,901 years. Long live the King! Lol."
Another fan said they would tell their kids in 20 years that LeBron scored a billion points, while a third person reflected on the NBA icon's career trajectory, writing, "1 billion? Yeah highschool to the league never happening again."
Another fan joked that they would tell their kids that LeBron scored a billion points in a season, while a fifth person asked the basketballer how they would celebrate the milestone.
LeBron And His Son Bronny Create History
LeBron James' new record comes two months after he and his son Bronny James became the first father-son duo in NBA history to play together in a regular season game.
On October 22, the Lakers played the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener. The Jameses entered the court together in the second quarter, cheered by the excited crowd, who witnessed a historical moment.
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Lebron's first son as the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA draft, and anticipation had been building for the moment the pair would eventually play together.
Other NBA Records Held By LeBron
LeBron James has broken and set several NBA records since beginning his career in 2003. On February 8, 2023, he became the league's all-time leading scorer after surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387. LeBron has since created more distance between himself and the rest in the all-time scoring list, as he now has 41,040 points and counting.
The father of three is also the only player in NBA history to record at least 40,000 points, 11,000 rebounds, 11,000 assists, and the only player in the league's history to average 25 points per game for 20 consecutive seasons.
LeBron is also the only player in NBA history to rank in the top five in points, the top ten in assists, and the top ten in steals.
The basketballer, who turns 40 on December 30, doesn't look like slowing down. He is averaging 25.0 points per game, shooting 51.3% from the field and 36.5% from the three-point range—numbers any player would dream of.
