Basketball has never seen anything like LeBron James’ dominant tenure

T here are numerous factors that make it difficult to appreciate that which is special in real time. For starters, valuing the finite nature of anything brings into sharper focus the fleetingness of our own existence, and for obvious reasons, that’s something we’d generally rather not dwell upon. Beyond that, life passes by at a frenetic pace, and most days are spent just trying to weather the storm. Most special, resonant, or important people or events, for that reason, are more easily appreciated in retrospect: the rose-colored glass of the rear-view mirror highlighting everything that was once muddled by the chaos of life.

But it’s a worthy exercise in mindfulness to take stock of that which is here now. Such an opportunity arises this week after LeBron James broke a record on Tuesday night that was long believed to be unbreakable: passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer.

James has referenced the recently “retired for good” Tom Brady as inspiration for what his decades-plus career may look like when all is said and done. Brady is a blueprint for the kind of athlete who was confronted by Father Time and, for the most part, laughed in his face – continuing to shatter records into his 40s. James isn’t knocking on the door of retirement just yet – he has said that he wants to continue playing long enough to share the court with his eldest son Bronny, who won’t be eligible for the draft until 2024 – which makes the celebration of this achievement feel unique. It’s not often that athletes are still active, let alone still dominant, while receiving their flowers.

“He’s 38!” is a refrain that’s become almost a cliche to NBA viewers in this, James’s 20th season of dominance. It’s mentioned