After being defeated again in the middle of a lost season, lebron james Asked at the FTX Arena in Miami, I was urged to escape my losing moments to broaden my horizons and lighten up.
What did James think about being so close to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record of 38,387?
“I’ve been working my way up the ranks, so it’s only natural to look at it and see where I am and see if it’s possible.” I never sat down and said, ‘OK, let’s see if we can get this record.'” .’ …
“This is one of those things that you never thought could happen.”
Abdul-Jabbar has held the torch as the league’s top scorer since 5 April 1984. This was almost nine months before James was born in December, when he turned 38.
In other words, James never imagined racking up more points than the captain, but perhaps he was born to do this.
James’ march to leading scorer will be the most eye-catching of his 20 seasons, but there are plenty of other ways to elevate his place in the NBA record book.
Let’s take a look at all the statistical superlatives James is aiming to achieve in 2022-23:
big one
James entered the season with 37,062 career points and needs 1,326 points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.
If he averages 27.1 points per game (his career average) and doesn’t miss a game, James could set the record in the Lakers’ 49th game against the San Antonio Spurs at home on Jan. 25. become.
Given how James has been in the past few seasons, add time for rest or an inevitable injury or two. Anthony Davis Returned to Health – Increases James’ chances of catching Abdul-Jabbar later in the campaign.
If he averages 24 points per game and misses 15% to 20% of the season, James is nearing a plateau somewhere between game number 65 and 68.
This will be the home of the Lakers in early March to host the Golden State Warriors (March 5), Memphis Grizzlies (March 7), Toronto Raptors (March 10) and New York Knicks (March 12). Match the stand.
The question is whether James can reach the top with a win. James overtook his four legends on the all-time scoring charts (Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone) in a loss to the Lakers, putting a damper on his individual record.
James can also pass Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most 30-point game in league history. He crossed 30 points seven times for a career total of 515. Jordan he has the most with 562.
longevity looming
Ranked #1 right out of high school in 2003, James’ career accomplishments often include: youngest ever to do so.That turned upside down as his time in the league approached 20 years. oldest to reach these feats.
“I’m literally trying to prepare my mind, body, and soul for how to stay young in the youth game,” James said last season. People who say it’s too much. [level] yet. So it’s always a daily reminder, and sometimes you need to remind people that what you’re doing can still be done at a high level.
James can continue to climb the ranks in two cumulative categories this season. He entered the campaign for his third in minutes played in his 52,139 minutes, and he needs 2,714 minutes to overtake Malone for second. He would have to be in the lineup for about 75 games to do that. Abdul-Jabbar tops the list with his 57,446 minutes.
When it comes to games played, he ranks 14th on the all-time list with 1,366. If he makes 59 contests this season, he will move up to eighth, ahead of Clifford Robinson, Reggie Miller, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Jason Terry and Kevin Willis.
Another Lakers Legend Appears
James’ game has often been compared to Magic Johnson’s due to his strong combination of size and court vision. And all of James’ accurate passing over the years allows him to pass Johnson on the all-time assists list.
James is seventh with 10,045 assists, behind Johnson in sixth with just 97 assists.
The only player in league history to rank in the top 10 for total points and assists, James became the only player to rank in the top five in those categories with 291 assists, ahead of Mark Jackson in fifth and second. I passed Steve Nash. the 4th.
3 seconds and free
James averaged 30.3 points last season. This was his second highest scoring average in his career. This is largely thanks to his contributions across stripes and arcs.
His 75.6% mark from the free-throw line is his highest clip since 2011-12, and his 161 3-pointers are the most he has ever achieved this season. was.
He’s fourth all-time with 7,836 and needs 543 more to pass Bryant for third place.
James is just four behind his longtime on-court rival, so he could quickly overtake Paul Pierce for 10th on the all-time 3-second list on opening night, Oct. 18.
With 151 three-shooters in the season, James will pass Jamal Crawford, Jason Terry and Vince Carter on the all-time list.
board and triple double
James quietly had one of the best rebounding seasons of his career in 2021-22, averaging 8.2 boards for the fourth best season.
With 10,210 career rebounds, he ranks 38th all-time. If he adds to his 500 boards this season, he’ll surge to 32nd, overtaking Otis Thorpe, Bill Laimbeer, Dave Cowens, former teammates Tyson his Chandler and Ben Wallace, and David his Robinson.
James is the only player in league history with 30,000 career points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.
He is fifth with 105 and needs a 3 to pass Kidd for fourth. James had six triple-doubles last season, his 17th total since his 35th birthday, twice as many as any other player in that age group in NBA history.
defensive feat
If the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame asked participants to select a single representative play to define their career, James would show a clip of the Game 7 Chasedown block at the 2016 NBA Finals. will be sent. Andre Iguodala to Springfield, Massachusetts.
James placed 93rd on the all-time blocked shots list for the season. If matching his 59 total last year, he would move up his 13th place and tie his 80th-placed Bob Lanier and back his Williams with a career swat of 1,100.
James also knows how to play the passing lane on the defensive end of the court and ranks 10th on the all-time steal list. He had another 27 swipes to leapfrog two-time Defensive Player of the Year Hakeem Olajuwon to take him to ninth and Clyde with 72 steals as he passed Drexler to put him in eighth. became.
playoff strength
James, who missed the playoffs for the fourth time in his 19-year career, said getting the Lakers back in the postseason is his top priority over personal honors.
James said he felt left out of the league’s biggest stage this summer, waking up at 3 a.m. to listen to live games while on holiday in the Maldives.
“As much as I don’t want to see it, it burns my stomach not to attend these games because it’s the perfect time to play basketball. My fans can’t.” [resist]“I love it,” James said in an episode of his YouTube talk show, The Shop: Uninterrupted.
No wonder he loves the postseason. He ranks first in playoff history for points, his goals on the field, his free throws, steals and games played. He is, of course, the only player to rank in the top 10 postseason players in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
He has the most 3-pointers in postseason history and will struggle to catch the two players above him, but he’s third behind the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry When Klay Thompson — There are several categories in which he can attain some standing.
James is only the second-ever playoff triple-double and needs three more to pass Johnson for the lead.
If he hits 118 rebounds, he’ll move past former Lakers big men Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal from sixth to fourth in the postseason all-time record.
James has amassed so many records at this point that many seem to be barely on the Lakers star list, but Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring totals are what gets his attention.
When asked about approaching Abdul-Jabbar’s mark on Monday, James said, “I’m in awe of it. Like, ‘Wow.’ …to sit here and know that I’m on the verge of breaking probably the most wanted record in the NBA is what people said would probably never be done. humble..”
