LeBron James is on the cusp of making history. The 38-year-old Lakers star is having a tremendous season in terms of personal statistics, averaging 30.2 points per game to go with 8.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. The Los Angeles Lakers currently sit 13th in the Western Conference with a 24-28 record, with much of the winning coming due to LeBron’s elite play.
It’s not a reach when we say this, because the Lakers are 4-7 this season when LeBron is not playing. He has still managed to lace up for 41 of the Lakers’ 52 games so far this season and has been a huge factor for his team, which has seen injury-prone fellow All-Star Anthony Davis more often on the bench than on the court this season.
How many points does LeBron James need to become the all-time leading scorer?
LeBron has always had the reputation of being a pass-first player, which might just be a myth. Although, he sure can pass the rock, as proved by his recent achievement of passing Mark Jackson and Steve Nash in the all-time assists list. He now holds 4th place on the list with 10,338 assists.
He did it in style in the Lakers’ last game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden last night. This was LeBron’s first game in the Mecca of Basketball since 22 January 2020, when he was days away from passing Late Kobe Bryant into third place on the all-time scoring list. LeBron put up a 28-point triple-double, which included 10 rebounds and 11 assists, to lead the Lakers to a 129-123 win.
LeBron James was asked by @joevardon if the “moment is getting heavier now that it’s getting close”:
LeBron calmly says “No, I’m going to do it.”
AD next to him: “Damn, that’s a tough answer.” 💯
(via @DanWoikeSports) pic.twitter.com/ZD1ay6BGfm
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 1, 2023
Now he’s just 89 points away from breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record, currently held by Kareem Abdul Jabbar with 38,387 points. As the moment comes closer, is it weighing him down? When asked during a postgame presser after the win against the Knicks, LeBron said, “No, it’s not getting heavier, because I’m going to do it. It’s just a matter of when I’m going to do it.” “It’s not heavy at all.”, he added.
Anthony Davis, who was sitting beside LeBron at the presser, seemed impressed as he heard LeBron talk about this. “Damn”, Davis said. “That’s a tough answer”, he added.
LeBron also stated that throughout his career, he has just focused on playing the game the right way instead of worrying about individual records. “I didn’t get to this point of my career by thinking about records or how many points I have. I just try and play the game the right way. I approach the game every night by trying to be a triple threat — scoring, rebounding and assisting. So let the chips fall where they may.”, he said.
Former Laker and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has held the scoring record since April 5, 1984, when LeBron James was not even born yet. Now King James, playing in his 20th NBA season, is a just handful of games away from claiming that record himself.
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