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LeBron James’s family was in the Crypto.com Arena stands to witness him make history on Feb. 7. During the Lakers vs. Thunder game in Los Angeles, James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 career points. As soon as he sank the decisive bucket — a two-point jump shot in the third quarter — the game paused and he ushered his family onto the court to celebrate the massive milestone with him. Dozens of photographers captured the sweet moment James embraced his wife of nine years, Savannah, their three kids — Bronny (18), Bryce (15), and Zhuri (8) — and his mom, Gloria.
Following the game, the Lakers released a heartfelt video of James’s family members congratulating him on the new title. Zhuri adorably kicks off the tribute by saying, “Congratulations daddy for being the all-time scorer in the NBA. I love you.” His sons, who are both following in his footsteps with their own basketball pursuits, chime in that they’re “so proud” of their dad for his hard work. Savannah then adds, “I witness day in and day out the hard work, the sacrifice, and the professionalism that you put into this game every single day. . . . You should congratulate yourself, you should celebrate yourself, you deserve all the flowers, you deserve all the respect, and I just want to tell you how proud of you I am.”
During a postgame interview, James opened up about the surreal feeling he experienced right after scoring his 38,388th career point. “Everything just stopped. It gave me an opportunity to embrace it and look around. Seeing my family, seeing the fans, seeing my friends, it was pretty cool,” he said. The Lakers forward also touched on the impact that fatherhood has had on his life. “Basketball has given me a lot, has taken me all over the world, has inspired a lot of people, but for me, being a father is something way more dynamic and way more driven than the game,” he said.
Read ahead to watch the exact moment James made NBA history, and see him celebrate the momentous occasion with his loved ones.
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Getty | MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne
See Photos of LeBron James’s Family at the Game
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Getty | MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne
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Getty | MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne
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