>> This is CNN breaking news.
>> We have a lot more coverage
of the state of the union at
this hour.
But right now major breaking
news in the sports world.
King James is the new blitz
king of the NBA.
Los Angeles Lakers super star,
Lebron James, has just become
the league's all-time leading
scorer.
James scoring 36 points tonight
so far, the game is still going
on.
What he has done is past fellow
laker legend Kareem
abdul-jabbar.
Which abdul-jabbar head since
1984.
And it is in tonight's game!
CNN's Omar Jimenez is in the
crypto.com arena.
He is joining us by phone.
Omar, tell us what that moment
was like?
>> Honestly, watching the
aftermath of that moment right
now is incredibly surreal,
anybody here in the arena was
on their feet waiting.
Baiting their breath for
anticipation of the shot going
in.
One of the signature fadeaway
shots in the left elbow.
And he absolutely drained it.
That performance, hands up in
the air.
His entire family, his close
friends cheering them on.
They are now on the court
celebrating, and some of them
look, I should say, very
emotional at this moment.
It's a moment that people
thought would it be broken.
30 games, and thousand career
points at the highest level of
basketball over the course of
an and B.A. Career, that's been
20 years for Lebron James and
now he stands at center court
as fans chant MVP.
He plays a bunch of blood is
essentially him collecting over
his career, and it could not be
a more proud moment.
For the fans, for his family
looking on.
And the right side of him.
And of course to the NBA.
Now surpassing one milestone,
and handing it off to the next
generation.
>> Omar, how cool as a huge
basketball fan, and former
player yourself to be there to
witness this incredible,
incredible history.
I want to go now to someone who
knows Lebron James and the NBA,
and pretty much all of sports
very well.
Sportscaster, and CNN
contributor Bob Costas.
Omar said over 30, 000, let's
be exact.
30,387 points.
That is the number that Kareem
abdul-jabbar said all those
years ago.
And that was what was just
surpassed.
I was just reading that we know
that Lebron James set out at a
very young age to break all
kinds of records in the NBA.
But this one?
He said I never said I wanted
to lead the league in scoring.
And pressure never said I
wanted to be the all-time
leader in scoring.
And yet here he is.
>> Yes, it's a tribute not only
to his continued excellence but
to his longevity.
At age 38, and his 20th season.
And Kareem by the way also
played 20 seasons.
But not as many minutes towards
the end of his career, as
Lebron's right now.
Lebron, still among the tiny
handful of best players in the
league.
Lebron only led the league in
scoring one season.
Michael Jordan led the league
in scoring ten seasons.
And he averaged more points per
game.
Certainly more than 30, that
Lebron has over his career.
But Lebron leads Michael in
rebounds, and assists per game.
If you play at that high level,
for 20 seasons.
And stay healthy.
Then you've got the chance to
scale the highest mountain.
Kareem abdul-jabbar held that
record for a long time.
And now it belongs to Lebron.
And as I watch the game not, at
the game, but watching it.
The last flurry that took him
past the mark of Kareem
abdul-jabbar, had a little bit
of everything.
From the Lebron James playbook.
He hit back to back three
pointers.
Then he took an alleyoop, and
thanked one in.
And the last basket that took
him past Kareem abdul-jabbar,
was a classic fadeaway from the
foul line.
He's so versatile.
So many aspects to the game.
And he showed a little bit of
everything today.
In his 20th season of the
league.
>> We should now, this is
obviously a huge milestone.
He's already racked up so many.
For NBA championships,
four-time MVP award, three
all-time MVP award.
Two gold medals.
It goes on and on.
Bob, you interviewed Lebron
James back in 2003.
I want to play a little bit of
that and talk on the other
side.
>> How does it feel to know
that if you are not eventually
a hall of fame caliber player,
it's not good enough to be good
or an all-star, if you're not
eventually a first rank hall of
famer, a lot of people will say
that you are a bust or
overhyped?
>> How does that make me feel?
I don't look at it as looking
into the future, I always go
by.
And take every moment at a
time.
Because you are not promised
tomorrow.
And that's what my mom brought
me upon, and I always say that
I try to get better every day
at what I do.
>> Your thoughts now?
>> Well, even then I was
impressed.
As an 18 year old, when all of
the scrutiny and adulation had
already come his way.
He was very mature, he was very
levelheaded in his responses.
And you have to understand the
context.
Moses Malone came out of high
school, right into the NBA.
Won three MVP awards.
Went to the hall of fame, true.
Even kobe Bryant, obviously one
of the greatest of the great.
Came right out of high school.
But none had the pre-nba during
high school attention that
Lebron had.
His games, his high school
games were on ESPN.
Sports illustrated was all over
his story, he was a national
name before he ever hit the
NBA.
And my question therefore, was
not to put him on the spot it
was appropriate.
And it was true, it wasn't
enough that he just be a good
player.
He had to become an all-time
great to meet those
expectations.
Not only, does it turnout, he
met every expectation.
He exceeded them.
He's had a deeply admiral
career.
>> He sure has.
Okay Bob standby, I want to go
back to Los Angeles.
To Omar Jimenez, who again is
in the stadium there.
Omar, what is happening right
now?
>> Well, Lebron just adjust the
entire crowd reflecting on this
monumental moment.
And he said what he said over
the past week, that he couldn't
believe that he is the one to
beat in this situation.
But you look at what some of
Bob says, and what Lebron has
done in his career.
Who else would have been in the
situation?
He was emotional.
He spoke through tears.
He said alongside NBA
commissioner, Adam seeth silver,
and Kareem.
[Inaudible]
I honestly think he was just
lost for words.
Among friends, family.
He seems like someone who could
not be more grateful and more
humble by of course this
monumental's moment.
>> Fascinating, and the fact
that Kareem abdul-jabbar, of
course, an L.A. Lakers.
The one who gave everybody,