LeBron James has broken records like no one else. Across his entire career, the Los Angeles Lakers forward has been one of the most prolific record-setters in the league. As he continues his NBA-record 23rd season, he has finally topped yet another leaderboard, passing NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for another key milestone, leaving Michael Jordan fans to respond online.

“LeBron James has passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most made field goals in NBA history,” a graphic posted by SportsCenter read. It happened in the first quarter of tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets in Ball Arena.

With about 12 seconds left on the clock, James hit a turnaround fadeaway over Nuggets forward Zeke Nnaji for his third made field goal of the night and the 15,838th of his career, passing the Milwaukee Bucks legend’s mark of 15,837, which he achieved over 20 seasons in the league, ending in 1989.

James entered the night with an already decorated resume when it comes to the record books. He previously surpassed Abdul-Jabbar as the All-Time leader in points scored in 2023, a moment the two legends celebrated on the court. James also sits as the all-time leader in minutes played across the regular season and playoffs.

“LeBron’s greatest hits, he just keeps adding to them,” Lakers head coach and friend JJ Redick said before tonight’s game. “He just plays and plays and plays. And the greatest hits are just … he’s got a hell of a catalog.”

The next major statistical milestone for James is most games played, where he currently sits five games below the Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish for first place. Over his career, the big man played 1,611 games, and if James plays in every following Lakers game, he should take the lead on Wednesday, 18th March against the Houston Rockets.

However, in the middle of all the record-breaking, the King is yet to earn the respect of certain fans of a competing GOAT candidate: Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan Fans Blast LeBron James, Place Bulls Legend Ahead of Him

Social media wasted no time reacting, and as soon as LeBron James passed the milestone, NBA Twitter was split into familiar camps. Many acknowledged the longevity of James’ record-breaking career, but other turned the moment into yet another chapter of the never-ending GOAT debate.

“Still chasing 1 ghost you cant catch.”

For this fan, James’ latest achievement didn’t do much to chance the theoretical standings. James is still chasing Jordan to them, whose legacy as an undefeated Finals dominator is something James hasn’t been able to match.

Another section leaned into that argument further, especially with championships being one of the most common talking points in their comparison.

“Still LESS RINGS than Jordan after 30 years in the league!!!”

That sentiment is one of the most consistent criticisms James has faced in his career. Despite making the Finals 10 times, including eight appearances in a row, James has lost six, and with Jordan famously winning all six of his appearances, James dominating the record books seemingly doesn’t make up for it.

Some fans questioned the nature of this achievement, suggesting the milestone has more to do with longevity than actual greatness.

“Casually stat-padding before retiring.”

This is a very common sentiment when it comes to James breaking records. Playing out of high school and into his 40s has allowed him a chance to accumulate numbers at a rate that previous generations rarely had.

Others echoed the Jordan comparison in much simpler terms.

“And he’ll Still be chasing the real king🏀.”

Despite passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a second major statistical category, MJ’s fans aren’t giving James a break, with the legendary Bulls guard being placed ahead of him and placed on a higher footing based on his achievements in the 90s.

And the final sentiment from fans only cemented how they felt about this landmark moment from the King.

“Respect to LeBron… But he’s still not the GOAT. 💯💯💯.”

That might ultimately be the reality of every milestone the Lakers forward reaches from here on out. Each record just adds to his legacy, but for many in the basketball world, the shadow of Michael Jordan remains a point of comparison that won’t fade away.