Michael Jordan issues statement on LeBron James setting scoring record

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Michael Jordan is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Plenty of people congratulated LeBron James on Tuesday for breaking the career scoring record, though the recognition from some people stands out above the others. A statement from Michael Jordan might carry more weight for LeBron.

Jordan praised James in a statement issued to TMZ Sports on Wednesday.

“Congratulations to LeBron on this incredible achievement. It’s a testament to his hard work, longevity, and his great skill,” Jordan said in a statement, according to TMZ’s Michael J. Babcock.

“Congratulations to LeBron on this incredible achievement. It’s a testament to his hard work, longevity, and his great skill.” – Michael Jordan on LeBron James breaking NBA all-time scoring record.

— michael j. babcock (@mikejbabcock) February 8, 2023

Jordan is fifth on the career points list with 32,292. MJ didn’t have the longevity to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, especially with his baseball hiatus and pre-Wizards retirement. James doesn’t have the championships to match Jordan, but he has the longevity that Jordan cited in his statement.

Not only will it be difficult for anyone to surpass James and Abdul-Jabbar, but Karl Malone’s 36,928 points at third on the list will be tough to top as well.