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On April 5, 1984, more than 18,000 fans gathered to watch Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar break the all-time NBA scoring record set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1966. Abdul-Jabbar, 37, went 10-for-14 from the field and grabbed five rebounds and three assists in a 129-115 win over the Utah Jazz, breaking Chamberlain’s career record set in seven seasons. Nearly 40 years later, LeBron James has become the youngest player to reach multiple scoring thresholds and is on track to break NBA records.
James is already one of two players in the top 30 in NBA history in career scoring and assists. another? Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (15th in scoring, 8th in assists).
Check back here for the latest updates on James’ performance this season Athletic His quest to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA will be tracked.
Last updated: January 16 at 9:00AM ET
How many points does LeBron have over Kareem?
364 points.
When is James expected to break the record?
Feb. 9 vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks In the crypto arena.
(This projection is based on James averaging 29.2 points per game for the season and not missing any games due to injury and/or rest.)
recent notable performance
The four-time NBA Finals MVP broke the 38,000-point threshold on Jan. 15 against the 76ers, scoring 35 points on 15-for-23 shooting in a 113-112 loss to the Sixers. He also added 10 assists and eight rebounds.
It took James 1,399 games to join Abdul-Jabbar as the only player with 38,000 career points.
How is LeBron scoring this season?
James’ 29 points per game would be the highest single-season scoring average by any player age 38 or older, surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 23.4 points per game in 1985-86 at age 38. With 43 points vs. Hornets on Jan. 2, he joins Michael Jordan (twice) as the only players in league history to hit back-to-back 40-point games at age 37 or older. — hunter paterson
LeBron on the way to the Lakers W!
43 points
11 rebounds
6 assistsHe joins the ranks of Michael Jordan by becoming just the second player in @NBAHistory to score consecutive 40-point games at age 35 or older. pic.twitter.com/sWHSOVyiOU
– NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2023
LeBron’s scoring style in 2023
He shot a career-best 80.2 percent on shots within three feet of the rim. James shot 76.1 percent of those shots in his first four years with the Lakers.
This season, James leads the NBA in fast-break scoring with 6 points per game, his highest single-season scoring average since 2013-14 (6.1), his final season with the Miami Heat. — Tobias Bass
How does LeBron’s career compare to Kareem’s?
(Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Basketball has changed dramatically since Abdul-Jabbar last played in the NBA in 1989. The six-time league MVP set a career scoring record with his patented skyhook, arguably the most unstoppable shot in NBA history.
James’ path to an all-time scoring record looks very different from his predecessor’s for an obvious reason: the 3-point shot.
Since the league introduced the three-point shot in the 1979-80 season, the long-distance shot has grown in influence in the NBA. How does that affect James’ path to the top of the NBA scoring list? During Abdul-Jabbar’s final season in 1988-89, NBA teams averaged 6.6 three-pointers per game. This season, James is averaging 6.7 three-pointers per game.
Despite differences in their overall games, both players are great examples of what it means to age gracefully in their respective sports. In 2020, after winning his fourth NBA championship, James tied Wilt Chamberlain (both 35 years old) as the second-oldest Finals MVP in league history, second only to Abdullah Le-Jabbar (38 in 1985).
James’ versatility has made his path to the NBA scoring title full of surprises. He is one of five players in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in their respective careers. The others are Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Luka Doncic.
Abdul-Jabbar’s dominance comes from his dominance inside. He and Shaquille O’Neal are the only players averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and shooting 55 percent from the field. — Patterson
four seasons
- James: 20 (still increasing)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 20
career average
- James: 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.6 steals, shooting 50.5% from the field, 34.4% from the three-point range, and 73.4% from the free throw (as of January 15).
- Abdul-Jabbar: 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 blocks, shooting 55.9% from the field and 72.1% from the free throw line.
champion
- James: 4 (2020, 2016, 2013, 2012)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 6 (1988, 1987, 1985, 1982, 1980, 1971)
Finals MVP Award
- James: 4 (2020, 2016, 2013, 2012)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 2 (1985, 1971)
Regular Season MVP Awards
- James: 4 (2013, 2012, 2010, 2009)
- Abdul Jabbar: 6 (1980, 1977, 1976, 1974, 1972, 1971)
All NBA Team Picks
- James: 18 people (13 people in the first team, 3 people in the second team, 2 people in the third team)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 15 people (10 people in the first team, 5 people in the second team)
Best Defensive Team Selection
- James: 6 people (5 people in the first team, 1 person in the second team)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 11 people (5 people in the first team, 6 people in the second team)
all star selection
- James: 18 (tied with Kobe Bryant for second all-time)
- Abdul-Jabbar: 19 (NBA record)
NBA scoring champion
- James: Once (2008)
- Abdul-Jabbar: Twice (1972, 1971)
LeBron’s highest scoring regular season
1. March 3, 2014: 61 points vs. Charlotte Bobcats
On this day in 2014…LeBron James scored a career-high 61 points against Charlotte. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/ICJeqQkolP
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 3, 2022
2. Nov. 3, 2017: 57 points vs. Washington Wizards
#OnThisDay in 2017, @KingJames scored 57 against the @WashWizards!
Relive his epic performance here. #BestOfNBA pic.twitter.com/kRb9kg1ZAU— NBA India (@NBAIndia) November 4, 2020
3. March 5, 2022: 56 points vs. Golden State Warriors
⭐ SHOWTIME in Los Angeles ⭐
LeBron performed in front of the @Lakers home crowd, giving up 16 of 5️⃣6️⃣ points in the 4th quarter to seal the win for the #LakeShow! @KingJames: 56 points (19-31 FGM), 10 rebounds, 6 at 3 p.m. pic.twitter.com/hePuo8LPgD
– NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2022
4. March 20, 2005: 56 points vs Toronto Raptors
🗓 March 20, 2005: 15 years ago today…
Cavaliers over Raptors (-2.5 | O/U 199)
20-year-old LeBron James becomes the youngest player in NBA history to score 50+ points (at the time) with 56 points | 10 rebounds | 5 assists
Raptors will win 105-98 + cover 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/BebAvXnvjS
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) March 20, 2020
5. Feb. 20, 2009: 55 points vs. Milwaukee Bucks
LeBron James beat the Bucks with 16 points in 2 minutes. James scored 55 points. (2009) pic.twitter.com/XOnNmzcqLl
— ThrowbackHoops (@ThrowbackHoops) March 2, 2019
Who else can beat Kareem’s (soon to be LeBron’s) record?
It’s going to be an uphill battle for anyone brave enough to try.
In a recent ESPN sit-down interview, when asked who he thought could one day pass him, James listed the following players, assuming they could “be on the floor” long enough: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of the five, Durant is the most immediate threat, as he’s just over 11,000 points behind Abdul-Jabbar in career points and still near the peak of his game. He currently ranks 16th on the all-time scoring list.
There are currently six players on the NBA roster with at least half as many career points as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry. (seventh, Damian Lillard, just below that threshold).
Five other active players averaged 24 points or more in at least 250 games: Doncic, Embiid, Tre Young, Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Davis. (Davis has averaged 24 points per game in his career, while Devin Booker slightly below that threshold of 23.7 points).
If anyone can surpass James, it’s likely to be one of these 15 players. — mike prada
What other notable records does LeBron have?
James is currently the all-time NBA regular season and playoffs scoring leader with 45,655 points. He also set an NBA record for scoring in double figures in 1,129 consecutive games. During his career, he has scored more than 20 points in a game 1,162 times, the most in NBA history.
He is the youngest player…
- Score 30 points in a game (18 years and 334 days)
- Score 40 points in a game (19 years and 88 days)
- Earn 2,000 points in a season (20 years, 111 days, end of 2004-05 season)
- 30 points average in a single season (21 years old, 110 days at the end of the 2005-06 season, averaging 31.4 points per game)
Oldest Player…
- Average at least 30 points a season (37 years old, 101 days at the end of the 2021-22 season, averaging 30.3 points per game)
- Record a 30-point triple-double (37 years and 81 days, March 21, 2022, Cleveland Cavaliers)
Other visible occupational records include career goals (second only to Abdul-Jabbar), Score at least 30 points in most games (second only to Michael Jordan) and Career Regular Season Playing Time (Third, after Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone). — james jackson
How much longer can LeBron play?
For several years now, James has been planting the seeds of playing with his son, Bronny. Bronny is a senior at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, Calif., which means he won’t be eligible to play in the NBA until the 2024-25 season, the season his father turns 40.
In a recent interview with ESPN, he softened his stance on playing on the same team as Bronny, saying instead that he would love to play in the same game as his eldest son. According to ESPN and 247Sports, Bronny is currently ranked 34th in his class, suggesting he might not be an obvious one-and-done candidate.
In a December interview with German journalist Maximilian Haupt, Lakers guard Dennis Schroder said in German that James told him he wanted to play another five to seven years until he was 45. That’s notable because James has long revered Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, 45, is still playing in the NFL.
Weeks later, James disputed that characterization.
“I don’t have numbers,” James said. “I know I can play at this level for a minute as long as my mind stays on it. Now, it depends on my mind. My body will be fine because if I stay focused, I will make sure my body I am taken care of and I will keep putting in the work.”
Considering the level of play James has played this season and how he has taken care of his body in the offseason, he should have at least two more seasons at the All-Star level. Based on Bronny’s development, the 2024-25 season, James’ 22nd, could be his last.
But as he’s shown throughout his storied career, it’s folly to challenge the king to his father’s time. — Jovan Buha
(Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY)
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