Last night, after nearly 40 years, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record was broken by LeBron James. It was a moment that many believed to be a foregone conclusion. For the last few years, the thought of this record being broken became more tangible. We couldn’t truly picture another player besides LeBron James breaking it. In many ways, he was just built for it.

What makes LeBron breaking this record so unique is that he isn’t known as a score-first type of player. His true gifts lay in assisting the basketball and getting his teammates involved. What the all-time NBA scoring record represents in part, is longevity. Not only longevity, but a commitment to excellence as well. As fans of basketball, we all know we can’t replicate what we see the greats do on the court. We marvel at their abilities.

So we sit on the sidelines and watch, because in many ways we can still relate. We watch these athletes complete these amazing feats. We recognize that the finished products that we see on the court or on the field are a result of hard work. They’re the results of tons of hours of work done in the dark, away from the cameras. The realm of sports is the ultimate exhibition.

In the crowd last night, the greats of our time descended on “The Crypt.” You had the likes of Jay-Z, Denzel Washington, Bad Bunny, Floyd Mayweather, and more in attendance. Sure, they attended for the love of the game, but they also understand what it means to reach the pinnacles of their fields.

For us watching at home, we get it too. Whatever our respective fields are, if we’re walking in alignment, we desire to reach respective pinnacles as well. We study for degrees, get extra training, we put the time in. All of that is done with the hope and the belief that it all will pay off in the end. Seeing things through is the only option. LeBron James’ accomplishment last night was simply a manifestation of that.

During Black History Month, LeBron once again sheds a beautiful light on our culture. For him to be the one to eclipse Kareem makes a lot of this apropos. From one polarizing and influential figure to another. LeBron will add to the honor of holding such a title. It behooves us to not snooze at an accomplishment like this. Rather, let us recognize this moment as a reminder to “strive for greatness.”

Congratulations LeBron James!

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