How many assists does LeBron James have and which assist records can he break in the 2021-22 NBA season?

It isn't news that LeBron James is a "pass-first" type player, even he will admit that. As an NBA superstar, he doesn't take over the game with his shot-making and scoring but rather his playmaking and court vision. He is the ideal player when one thinks of a playmaker and his ability to pass the ball is unmatched on the court.

"Since I was 19 years old! And I’m a pass first guy. Always been..."

LeBron James willingly feeds the ball to his teammates and always makes the right play, almost to a fault. There have been several occasions where fans and analysts have wanted him to take the shot but he passed it to an open shooter instead, who missed the shot. If there is an open shooter or cutter to the basket, James will find him. He is the greatest point forward of all time and has always been the team's ball-handler from any position he plays.

As of today (October 23rd, 2021), LeBron James has 9706 assists so far in his career.

Which assist records can LeBron James break in the 2021-22 NBA season?

LeBron James passes the ball past Jaylen Brown in the 2029-20 NBA season [Source: AP]

LeBron James is arguably the best passer of all time. He is so good at making plays and finding his teammates that even his proclaimed haters can't deny that part of his game. Famous LeBron James critic, Skip Bayless has always mentioned it on his show, 'Undisputed' that he may hate on James' game but will never disregard his IQ and playmaking.

LeBron James has 9,706 assists as of today and the only active player ahead of him on the all-time assist leaderboard is Chris Paul with 10,299. The active player third on the list is Russell Westbrook, who is more than 1700 assists behind James.

First and foremost, James has a chance of entering the 10K assist club. In the entire 75-year history of the NBA, only six players have ever crossed the 10,000 assist mark - John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Mark Jackson, Chris Paul and Magic Johnson. James needs 294 assists to join the club and that is, quite frankly, a cakewalk for him. He has never assisted less than 350 assists in a season in which he has played at least 45 games. James has dished out more than 500 dimes in a season 11 times in his career.

Second, he can lead the league in assists. With a passing ability like James, it is always a possibility that he can be the season's assist leader. He did so once in 2019-20 with 10.2 dimes a game. But if you look at per-game stats, he has never averaged less than six assists a game except for his rookie season. Now that he is 36 years old and in his 19th season, he is more willing to pass and make plays rather than drive in the paint and draw contact. In his first 13 seasons, he averaged 6.9 assists a game, but in the five seasons since then, it has ratcheted up to 8.9 assists a game.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on James' passing ability in 2016, saying:

"LeBron breaks all the passing rules...You're not supposed to leave your feet and pass, and he uses it as a weapon. You're not supposed to pass through traffic. He throws backhanded fastballs that buzz the ears of two defenders. He always knows where everyone is going to be."

Finally, LeBron James can become the only player in NBA history with 35,000 points, 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds. It isn't a question of 'if' but 'when' when we talk about this record.

There have been several all-time greats who can score and rebound or score and assist, but not many can do all three. LeBron James is already the only player in NBA history with 35K+ points, 9K+ assists and 9K+ rebounds.