LeBron James continues to build his Hall of Fame credentials in Year 19. The self-declared Chosen One has lived up to the almost overwhelming expectations that were placed on him even before he walked onto an NBA court. James has indisputably joined the previously opaque discussion of all-time greats nearly two decades later.
James has not slowed down since he started rewriting the record books as a rookie. After overtaking Karl Malone for second place all-time in NBA scoring, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is now the focus of James’ attention.
The all-time scoring record in the NBA, one that many thought would never be broken, is up for grabs and if James can get past Abdul-Jabbar, he might be able to keep it out of reach for good.
The scoring mark would be simply another in a long list of records achieved by James that are unlikely to be beaten. Here are his five most tenacious records.
Record streak of 10-point games
James has now scored at least 10 points in almost 1,000 consecutive games, a stretch that dates back more than 15 years. He hasn’t had a single-digit score since January 2007, when he faced the Milwaukee Bucks.
It’s a run made possible by an almost unfathomable mix of skill, luck, and endurance.
A mind-boggling combination of talent, physical endurance, mental focus, and, yes, fortune. No downtime. The opening quarter saw no ankle sprains. No ejections made in a hurry.
With 866 games, Michael Jordan previously held the record and no other active streak comes close to his current count of 900.
LeBron James has scaled the NBA’s all-time scoring records with this milestone, cementing his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.
James’ current campaign has now gone on for so long that it has exceeded Michael Jordan’s total count of regular-season matches played throughout his entire career. This game is virtually out of reach for LeBron.
30K, 10K and 10K
LeBron James is the first basketball player to score 10K rebounds, 30K points and 10K assists in NBA history earlier this season.
Take into account the following to put that in context.
In NBA history, just eight players have scored 30,000 points. Only seven players have amassed 10,000 assists in league’s history – and while several players have surpassed the 10,000-rebound mark, before the end of James’s career, he’ll have the opportunity to rack up 15k rebounds, a feat that only seven other players have achieved.
If you made a all-time career stat stuffers venn diagram, James is the one who never changes, seated in the middle.
With James’ ability to stuff stat sheets, it’s not completely out of the question that in two or three more seasons, he may be the all-time leader in points and the top three in assists. And, given how successfully he’s been performing this season, what makes you think he won’t be able to play for much longer and at such a high level?
Seasons averaging 25.0 points per game in a row
According to Bleacher Report, James’ 2016-17 season was the 13th in his career in which he averaged 25 points per game or more; an NBA record.
James’ first season in 2003-2004 was the only time he did not average at least 25 points per game.
With this being his 13th season reaching 25-point-per-game mark, James surpassed a group of league icons – Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan – who had a total of 12 such seasons – to take top spot.
James is still trailed by Malone, Jordan, and Bryant in the list of all-time NBA scoring, coming in second, third, and fourth place, respectively.
With 28,787 points in his career, James is presently ranked seventh all-time. They do, however, demonstrate James’ dedication to hard work and preparedness. With more gas in his tank, he appears to have a shot at improving on these lofty goals in the future.
But, if James can stay healthy and play for at least another season, he has a chance to catch all three of them, and possibly pass them. During the 2016-17 season, James averaged 26.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Consecutive NBA All-Star games
Kareem and Kobe Bryant set the bar high with All-Star appearances. Having 19 points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar owns the record while Kobe was the modern-day wonder with 18.
LeBron James has caught up to Kobe Bryant and is on the verge of tying Kareem with his next All-Star selection. Consecutive All-Star starts where LeBron has them, as well as everyone else, beat. In 2022, LeBron James made his 18th All-Star appearance and started the game.
This season exemplifies why it’s so difficult to pull off. Consider Luka Doncic, who was named to the All-Star team but was not chosen as a starter. Doncic’s clock starts over after this season, which means he must play 18 more seasons and begin pursuing James in each of them. It appears that no one will appear in 18 or more All-Star games for a long time and if they do, we can confidently assume they won’t be beginning them all.