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Sports world praises LeBron James for reaching 40,000 points

LeBron James extended his all-time scoring record on Saturday by becoming the first NBA player to reach 40,000 regular-season points.

The Los Angeles Lakers star passed the total with a driving left hand layup early in the second quarter, leading to a standing ovation from the Crypto.com Arena crowd. There was no stoppage in play, but it was acknowledged during the ensuing timeout with a video tribute and another ovation.

He entered the matchup against the Denver Nuggets nine points away from 40,000. The milestone comes just a year after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career points in NBA history.

Counting both playoff and regular-season points, James already eclipsed 40,000 points -- he had 48,014 entering Saturday. However, he's the first to ever accomplish the feat in the regular season alone.

Here's how the sports world reacted to James passing 40,000 points.