LeBron James Just Upended 19-Year-Old Jordan Record

Cavs star now has most playoff points ever
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 26, 2017 2:39 AM CDT
LeBron James Sets New NBA Scoring Record
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James leaves the court after Game 5 of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics on Thursday in Boston.   (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

The Cleveland Cavaliers earned a third straight trip to the NBA finals and LeBron James secured a place in the history books Thursday night by surpassing Michael Jordan's record as the all-time NBA playoffs scorer. James scored 35 points in the 135-102 win over the Boston Celtics and overtook the record Jordan set in 1998 during the third period, when a 3-pointer put him over the 5,987 mark, ESPN reports. "I wear the number because of Mike," No. 23 said after the game. "I think I fell in love with the game because of Mike, just because of what he was able to accomplish. When you're watching Michael Jordan, it's almost like a god. So I didn't think I could be Mike."

Before the game, James claimed he was "not a scorer." "I don't want to be labeled as a scorer. I can put the ball in the hoop," he said. "I'm a playmaker. I'm a player. Put me on the court and I find ways to be successful." For James, this will be the seventh straight trip to the finals, and for the Cavaliers, Eastern Conference champs, it will be the third final against the Golden State Warriors in a row, the AP reports. The Cavs lost in 2015, but they scored the first NBA title in franchise history in 2016. James is 32 years old, and in a look at NBA scoring records, the New York Times notes that since the league stopped drafting players out of high school in 2005, it doesn't look as if any current player will be able to beat his record. (More LeBron James stories.)

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