SN 140 Moments: No. 98 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar surpasses Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA scoring record

Wilt Chamberlain’s 31,419 career points shattered Bob Pettit’s previous mark of 20,880 points. When he retired in 1973, few thought that his record would be broken so soon. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was in his fourth season when Wilt retired, and over 20,000 points shy of that mark. It took him another 11 years to claim Wilt’s record as his own. 

On April 5, 1984, Kareem came into a game against the Jazz needing 22 points to secure the record. In his way stood 7-foot-4 big man Mark Eaton, who would go down as one of the best rim protectors in league history. Kareem had his patented sky hook shot, but Eaton led all players that season with 4.3 blocks per game. 

Kareem broke the record in the fourth quarter. He received a pass into the post from Magic Johnson, took a dribble, and encountered an immediate double-team. He pivoted to his right, launched up a soft baseline sky hook over the outstretched hand of Eaton, and saw the ball sink into the net. His teammates swarmed him, and the game needed to be paused. He put his hands triumphantly into the air to thank a roaring crowd. 

He finished his career with 38,387 points, a mark which stood for nearly 40 years before LeBron James — born in 1984, eight months after Abdul-Jabbar passed Chamberlain — finally broke it in 2023.

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