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LeBron James now has 38,325 career points, just 62 away from tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. The four-time MVP dropped 26 points in 33 minutes to rally the LA Lakers past the Indiana Pacers a few hours ago.
What’s even more remarkable about the chase is how vibrant and dynamic James has been over the last two seasons. He’s simply not crawling towards the record, he’s more like assaulting what was once considered untouchable.
Before the 2021-22 season, LeBron James hadn’t averaged more than 30+ points in 13 years. The last time he had 30.0 PPG was back in 2007-08 when he won the scoring title. In back-to-back years with the Lakers, he has 30.3 and is at 30.2 PPG this season.
The mind-boggling aspect of his pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record was when he turned 38 last Dec. 30. He didn’t have a 40-point game this season before the said date but now has five such games.
James exploded for a season-high 48 points against the Houston Rockets on January 16. Jabari Smith Jr., who spent most of his time guarding James, took a shot at the 20-year-old veteran’s age. The rookie said he played against his father, Jabari Smith, in his first game ever in 2003.
LeBron James also had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists versus the New York Knicks two nights ago. He became the oldest to accomplish a triple-double. James is not inching towards the all-time scoring mark. He’s jumping over it.
The soon-to-be 19x All-Star has insisted that surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s total was never his intention. He has claimed that as a “pass-first” player, the coveted scoring crown never came to mind when he jumped from high school to the NBA.
Kevin Durant, perhaps the league’s most fearsome scoring machine, wasn’t buying James’ assertion of being a pass-first player, though. Here’s KD on what “LBJ’s” game is all about:
“I never fall for that ‘Pass-first’ type. Bron [James] always was a scorer that could pass. I think he was a scorer first. When you can get 50 like that and average 27 for your career, I really think he was a scorer in my opinion. On top of that with longevity, that’s what brings you to being the No. 1 scorer of all time.
"I just think he’s a scorer who can make plays. I think that’s underselling him by calling him a ‘pass-first’ player.”
LeBron James is a great scorer who enjoys playing for his teammates
LeBron James has averaged at least 25.0 PPG in all but one of his 20 seasons in the NBA. Kevin Durant is second with 14 while the late Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan share third place with 12.
James’ scoring consistency and longevity are just out of this world. But, he’s also excellent at setting up his teammates. He surpassed Magic Johnson earlier this season for sixth place in the NBA’s all-time assists ladder.
Against the New York Knicks the other night, he took over the fourth spot on the said illustrious list. He overtook Mark Jackson and then Steve Nash to earn his new place in the rankings.
Unlike the scoring record, LeBron James, though, could be stuck at fourth. There’s no way he’s leapfrogging past Chris Paul, who is still playing, in third. John Stockton, the king of this category, is still roughly 5,000 assists away.
Guess the Lakers players!
