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The NBA’s all-time scoring list will get more attention this season after a very long time as LeBron James is set to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “King James” could sit on the league’s all-time scoring crown during the upcoming season.
Besides the GOAT candidate, there are also four more who should be moving up the all-time scoring ladder.
A special note is given to Carmelo Anthony, who is ranked 9th on the list and trails Shaquille O’Neal by only 307 points. “Melo,” however, remains a free agent and could be stuck where he’s at. If he signs with another team, he could move past Shaq.
Here are 5 NBA players who are set to go up in the all-time scoring ladder:
#5 Steph Curry
Steph Curry is currently ranked 47th on the all-time scoring list with 20,064 points. Ahead of him is Joe Johnson with 20,407. The NBA’s greatest 3-point shooter could jump over a total of 9 players if he replicates last season’s scoring totals.
Last season, the reigning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player scored 1,630 points. If he maintains roughly the same scoring output, he will climb to 37th place, just below the legendary Larry Bird. Some of the players that he could leapfrog over on the list are Mitch Richmond, George Gervin, David Robinson, Bob Pettit and Hal Greer.
Greer is in 37th place with 21,586 points, which should be easily within reach if Steph Curry keeps up with his usual scoring production. Larry Bird’s 21,791 points is also be reachable if the deadliest shooter in NBA history lights up the score sheet throughout the season.
#4 Chris Paul
For a passing maestro, it’s somewhat of a surprise that Chris Paul is this high on the list. He is currently 39th with 20,936 points, only five points away from tying Walt Bellamy.
“The Point God” had 958 points total last season with the Phoenix Suns. If he approximately reaches that figure next season, he could surpass Gary Payton on the list. Payton’s at 35 with 21,813 points.
Chris Paul averaged 14.7 points per game last season, and after a heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7, he will be looking to bounce back this season.
The 12x All-Star still has plenty in his tank to make sure he gets past “The Glove” on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
#3 Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook, despite struggling last season, still managed to finish the season with 1,441 points, giving him 23,298 for his career. Even if he comes off the bench for the entire campaign with the LA Lakers, it’s not difficult for “Russ” to maintain his scoring output.
If he ends up with about the same scoring production, Westbrook should jump from 30th to 25th, toppling Ray Allen.
Westbrook might have more scoring opportunities next season if gets extended minutes as the main man alongside the Lakers’ role players. It is possible that he could surpass his usual 1,400+ output. If that happens, he may even move past Patrick Ewing, who is currently 24th on the list.
#2 Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is guaranteed to move up several spots as long as he is healthy. He is currently 21st on the list with 25,526 points piled up in his career. In just 55 games last season, KD’s total was 1,643 points.
If the four-time scoring champ reaches 1,787 points next season, he will move past Elvin Hayes for the 11th spot on the NBA’s all-time scoring ladder. Durant averaged 29.9 PPG last season, his highest in six years. The last time he scored more than 30 PPG was during the 2013-14 season when he averaged 32 points per contest.
After getting ripped on numerous occasions by fans and basketball experts, Kevin Durant will have a big chip on his shoulder next season. A fired-up KD will have more reason to light up the scoreboard, which will only push him up the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
#1 LeBron James
Easily the most anticipated individual accomplishment that will be excitedly followed by basketball fans will be LeBron James’ chase of the all-time scoring record. He has amassed 37,062 points, just 1,325 shy of toppling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-time reign as the scoring champ.
Along the way, “King James” could also surpass Jabbar for the all-time made field-goals record. James is at 13,543 field goals while “Cap” has 15,837.
James’ upcoming coronation as the NBA’s all-time scoring king is even more jaw-dropping considering he has always been labeled as a passer. Despite that distinction, no one has been as brilliant as the four-time MVP in matching scoring brilliance with longevity.
The soon-to-be scoring king has averaged at least 25 points in 18 seasons. The only time he didn’t finish a season averaging a minimum of 25 points was in his rookie season, almost 20 years ago. Kevin Durant is the closest competitor with 13. Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone had 12 each. Steph Curry, the NBA’s deadliest three-point shooter, has 6.
