Courtside Stars: Who Came to Witness LeBron James Make History?

LeBron James just became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and these are the stars who made sure to not to miss the historic moment.

Throughout the 2022 to 2023 NBA season, players, fans, and pundits were all counting down to one thing. When will LeBron James break the NBA’s all-time scoring record?

For 39 years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the record with 38,387 to his name. Today, coming into the Lakers vs. Thunder game, James came onto the court just 36 points shy of breaking it.

With 10 seconds to go in the third quarter, the game was put on hold for a moment, because LeBron James did exactly what he needed to do — score 36 points — to break the record. Celebrations ensued to honor the #ScoringKing.

And here are the stars and celebrities who made sure not to miss this historic moment.

The James Family

Of course, knowing that their dad was just 36 points away from breaking the record, his sons, Bronny and Bryce made sure to sit courtside to witness the exact moment it happened.

His mom and wife were equally as proud of LeBron’s major achievement, and the Scoring King made sure to honor them in his celebratory speech.

Jay-Z

Although a part owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Jay-Z had no trouble coming to Los Angeles to support his friend, LeBron James, on a historic night.

Floyd Mayweather & Usher

Floyd Mayweather himself knows what it’s like to break records — he certainly couldn’t miss this moment, not only a monumental moment in the NBA, but in the entire history of sports.

With him in the NBA’s Celeb Row was R&B singer Usher.

Bad Bunny

Rapper and singer Bad Bunny was also sitting courtside this evening. And he definitely dressed to the occasion, sporting a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar graphic tee.

Next time around, will he be sporting a LeBron tee instead?

Denzel Washington

Los Angeles is truly a hotbed for Hollywood stars, and Denzel Washington was among the big stars that showed up to the game tonight.

Rihanna, Steph, and Drake

Though they couldn’t be in the audience at Los Angeles to witness the moment in the flesh, Rihanna, Stephen Curry, and Drake all made sure to pay their congratulations to the Scoring King with a video tribute.

Kareem Abdul-Jabar

And of course, the man who held the record for nearly 40 years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there to pass the torch.

In an interview, the former Lakers star said, “I’m excited to see it happen. I don’t see records as personal accomplishments, but more as human achievements. If one person can do something that’s never been done, that means we all have a shot at doing it. It’s a source of hope and inspiration.”

And as it happened on Lakers soil, Abdul-Jabbar handed LeBron James his ball, passing on the record for LeBron to hold until the next history-maker.

Banner images from the NBA on Instagram.

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