A Rolls-Royce, a Harley Davidson, a nine-minute sax solo, hundreds of jazz records and... even a rocking chair. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced before the 1988-1989 campaign that this would be his last active year, each of the 25 franchises that were then part of the NBA gave him a particular farewell ceremony. Yes, maybe in some cases hypocritical and forced because the myth of the Lakers did not go through being the most open and friendly person in the world, on the contrary, but deserved after all. One of the best players in the history of basketball and the one who is, still today, the top scorer in the NBA, left at the age of 42. 33 years later, his 38,387 points continue to rule the ranking.
However, his reign has an approximate expiration date. If everything goes as smoothly as in the last 19 seasons, LeBron James will climb to the all-time scoring lead next spring. Before starting his 20th season in the North American league last Tuesday, the Lakers forward was 1,325 points short of catching Jabbar (now he has 1,274 left). Only in one of his seasons has James been below that figure and because he spent half the calendar injured.
Road to 38 years LeBron signed a renewal for two more seasons in the summer. Although the Lakers aren't looking their best this time either after their disaster last year, if there's one reliable thing left for them, it's LeBron's performance. "Knowing that I'm about to break probably the most sought-after record in the NBA, something that people said could possibly never be achieved is super overwhelming," King James said.
The small forward and Jabbar are united by different aspects. Both have been dominant players in their time. Both became consolidated stars from the first day they landed in the NBA. They are also united by the fact that they have been champions with more than one franchise. Bucks and Lakers in the case of the center, and Heat, Cavaliers and the Los Angeles team for the forward.
Finally, Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, also establishes a link between the Jabbar myth and the James legend.
Of course they are also children of their time. The center started in a basketball where having an intelligent point guard and a powerful big man was three-quarters of the recipe for success. Until the Showtime Lakers added to those ingredients a devilish rhythm that took them to five rings, although his legs weighed more and more on his number 33. Within the years Jabbar was adding, he knew how to recycle himself and take refuge in his Sky-Hook until almost the end, when he really looked very decadent.
Meanwhile, James has not yet fired his last cartridges. In his best moments he turned his versatility into an unstoppable hammer. Now pulling. Now bouncing. Now handing out game. A chameleonic three with enormous strength that this campaign can also be placed among the five best assistants in history, above celebrities like Magic Johnson. Without the finesse of others, but with undeniable leadership skills, LeBron has always struggled, especially when he pulled the bandwagon of some Cavaliers who were collectively inferior to Stephen Curry's Warriors. His career has taken more turns than those of other stars. From Cleveland to Miami. From Florida back to Ohio. And from there to California.
In his wildest dreams he imagines playing on the same team with his 18-year-old son Bronny, who had just signed a contract with Nike. “My last year I will play with my son. Wherever Bronny is, there I will be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for a year. At that time it will not be about the money, ”she stated a few months ago. It will be then when you will know that it is time to say goodbye. Who knows if he will also receive gifts in each square, like Abdul-Jabbar. They would be 21st century version.
