JAY-Z, Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, Usher and more all witnessed the legendary Los Angeles Laker beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record
LeBron James had the support of a lot of famous friends when he made history in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
JAY-Z, Denzel Washington, Woody Harrelson, Floyd Mayweather, Usher, Bad Bunny, Dwyane Wade, LL Cool J and more all witnessed the NBA superstar, 38, break the all-time scoring record held by former fellow Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was also on site.
Abdul-Jabbar, now 75, set the seemingly unsurpassable record back in 1984. James entered the game needing 36 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar, and got there in the third quarter after scoring 20 points in the first half, making history with his 38,388th point in the NBA.
“LeBron, you are the NBA’s all-time scoring leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during the mini-ceremony. “Congratulations.”
“F—, man!” James said after thanking the crowd for their support while wiping away tears. Post-game, LeBron added: “It hasn’t quite sunk in just yet … I know I can play a couple more years.”
As the NBA showed in a video clip on Twitter, JAY-Z casually sipped a glass of red wine in black sweats courtside next to Corey Gamble during the game.
During tense moments of the game, JAY-Z was snapped looking fully engrossed while seated, then stood up to congratulate James after his big milestone moment.
At one point, Adele’s boyfriend and NBA manager Rich Paul came up and hugged the legendary rapper. (His wife Beyoncé just broke her own record on Sunday for winning the most Grammys in history, and Adele scooped up a Grammy herself for song of the year.)
Mayweather, sitting next to Usher, sported a black, Louis Vuitton hooded jacket and a massive gold chain.
Like Usher, L.L. Cool J wore black sunglasses at the sporting event, while Denzel Washington represented the New York Yankees in an all-black baseball cap.
Also on hand was Woody Harrelson, who sat near tennis legend John McEnroe. Real Housewives alum Lisa Rinna was also in attendance.
On Instagram Wednesday, James posted a carousel of photos of himself dressed to the nines in an all-black, stylish slim-fitting suit with black shades. “Just Stay Present Kid!” he captioned the pics, the phrase appearing to serve as a reminder for the GOAT basketball player, who showcased a “Stay Present” pin (by MAOR luxury jewelry, designed by Olivia Steele) in the last shot on his suit.
Earlier this season, when James became the second player to record more than 38,000 points along with Abdul-Jabbar, he told reporters, “Been appreciative of the opportunity to play this game at the highest level.”
Before James broke the record, Abdul-Jabbar told NBA reporter Marc Stein that he was “excited to see it happen.”
“I don’t see records as personal accomplishments, but more as human achievements,” added Abdul-Jabbar. “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. Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile back in 1954,” he continued. “Since then, not only have 1,400 runners beaten that time, but the new record is 17 seconds less.”
“We all win when a record is broken,” Abdul-Jabbar added, “and if LeBron breaks mine, I will be right there to cheer him on.”