Shannon Sharpe has a fitting reaction to Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s 26-year-old record

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson praise Alex Ovechkin for his record-setting night in their recent NightCap podcast episode.

Shannon Sharpe has a fitting reaction to Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky’s 26-year-old record

Alex Ovechkin (circle), Chad Johnson (Left), Shannon Sharpe (Right) (Images via The Black Enterprise/Athlon Sports/NEWS10 ABC)

On a historic evening in the UBS Arena, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals broke the 26-year-old record of the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. In his 1487th game, Ovechkin scored the 895th goal of his career, cementing himself as the highest goal-scorer in the history of the National Hockey League.

Wayne Gretzky set the mark in 1999, and few believed it could ever be broken. Ovechkin reached it and matched Gretzky’s pace by doing it in the same number of games.

In the recent episode of the Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson discussed the once-thought-impossible record. Sharpe noted that the fact Ovechkin is far from being done makes it even more prestigious.

I didn’t think anybody could break this record. That mark stood since 1999! And now Ovie done passed him — 895. And the craziest part is, he’s not done.

Shannon Sharpe said on an episode of Nightcap

Sharpe also praised Ovechkin’s commitment to one franchise throughout his entire career. While Gretzky played for four different NHL teams, Ovechkin has remained with the Washington Capitals since being drafted in 2004.

He’s only played for one franchise. Gretzky bounced around — Edmonton, L.A. — but Ovechkin stayed with the Caps and still got it done.

Shannon Sharpe continued

Meanwhile, Chad “Ocho” Johnson compared current NHL stars Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon to NFL standouts. McDavid and MacKinnon have 361 and 367 goals, respectively, far behind Ovechkin.

“McKinnon and McDavid are like Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson,” Ocho said, helping football fans grasp just how dominant Ovechkin is.

Alex Ovechkin, however, has won the Stanley Cup once and would love nothing more than one more to cap off the historic season. The Washington Capitals have clinched the playoff spot from the Metropolitan Division, where they lead the Carolina Hurricanes with 107 points and 5 games left in the regular season.

Shannon Sharpe, however, thinks LeBron James’ record trumps Ovechkin’s recent record

While Alex Ovechkin’s 895-goal record has stunned the sports world, Shannon Sharpe believes an even greater individual achievement exists — LeBron James surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

LeBron James 3
LeBron James (Image via Getty Images)

Sharpe recently appeared on ESPN’s First Take, where he made a strong case for LeBron’s scoring milestone being more impressive. His argument focused not only on the total points but also on the efficiency and pace at which James achieved the record.

Let me tell you how impressive LeBron James’ record is, he did it in 150 fewer games. It took the same amount of games, 1,497, for [Ovechkin] to break Gretzky’s. LeBron broke Kareem’s record that stood for 40 years in 150 fewer games. He still ain’t played the number of games Kareem played.

Shannon Sharpe said 

Sharpe emphasized that this isn’t meant to diminish Ovechkin’s greatness. Instead, it highlights how LeBron’s consistency and longevity, across two decades, have quietly reshaped NBA history. LeBron passed Kareem’s mark of 38,387 points during the 2022–23 season. Since then, he has extended his tally to an astounding 42,115 points in 1,559 games.

According to Sharpe, what stands out even more is how efficiently James continues to produce at age 40. Abdul-Jabbar needed 1,560 games to set his record.

Sharpe, known for his admiration of James, admitted his stance could be seen as biased. For Sharpe, it’s not about choosing between two greats. However, on a comparison, one has to be better than the other. And Sharpe thinks LeBron James has the upper hand here. The segment has faced criticism immediately, with fans belting Sharpe and First Take for making the record about James. Many believe that there was no requirement for bringing up LeBron James at the moment, and comparing the NBA to the NHL isn’t ideal.