LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Wednesday for second place on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list on Wednesday and now has No. 1 Michael Jordan in his sights.
James moved ahead of Abdul-Jabbar (5,762 points) with his 27th point in a 125-103 Cleveland win over the Toronto Raptors in game two of their best-of-seven playoff series.
Jordan heads the list with 5,987 points but James could pass him with an extended run this postseason with the Cavaliers, who are seeking their third consecutive finals appearance.
“I have taken advantage of the opportunity I have been given,” said James, who finished with 39 points Wednesday. “It was always my dream as a kid to be part of this league. I seen I had a gift and I didn’t take it for granted. And I still don’t even at 32.
“I been in this league for 14 years. I had some great teammates, I been in the postseason for 12 straight years so those guys and coaches I had put me in positions to be successful.
“When you hear a name like Kareem who has done so many great things, winning championships in the 1980s and how many points he put up. I didn’t actually get a chance to watch him growing up but I read about his accomplishments, so it is pretty cool.”
James has been enjoying a superb playoff, averaging 33.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game coming into Wednesday.
Those number are actually higher than his regular season totals of 26.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
James is seventh in regular-season scoring with 28,787 points while Abdul-Jabbar is first with 38,387 points.
© Agence France-Presse
