Lebron James just surpassed Karl Malone to rise to the second position of the all-time NBA scoring list. As for regular phase matches, it is understood, since it is the parameter with which all players can be matched to the maximum. James overtook Kobe Bryant two years ago to get on this fictional podium and now snatches second place from the legendary Jazz center. With his performance against the Wizards, the one from Akron adds 36,947 and is just one step away from the first position. The best mark is held by another Lakers legend, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, with the magic number of 38,387. Is it possible for James to reach this mythical peak? Indicators point to a positive response.
At 37 years and 79 days, LeBron has managed to be in that second position. He came to the NBA in 2003, his arrival announced as that of a messiah who came to fill the void of a recently retired Michael Jordan for the third and final time, and in almost two decades he has achieved a good part of this goal. A record that is nothing more than the imposition of dominance over others, individually but that makes clear the numerous virtues of both James and the other great scorers in history to attack the rival hoop. In the other corner, if we want to take him to the boxing heritage, is Kareem, who not only was not satisfied with making history when he played for UCLA in the NCAA but also extended his stay in the NBA until he was 42 years old. That made the center born as Lew Alcindor reach many records, this being only one.
At the 1,440 points that he has left, you have to do some math to know when James will be able to catch up with Abdul-Jabbar. It could be the next season judging by an impressive fact: that amount was scored in all the campaigns he has played except for one, a 2020/21 in which his first major injury came together and that the calendar was shortened for make up for lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 18 of the 19 seasons he has played he reached that figure, so a full year would be enough to reach the record.
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In the 29.7 points that he is averaging this season, you have to put a little ice. It’s his best average in a season since 2010, the last year of his first stint with the Cavaliers and when he still hadn’t won a championship. However, it would be logical for him to decrease his production level. Kareem dropped his points flow by 11% in the last decade of games he played and the good thing for LeBron is that he is far from being in that same situation.
The overexploitation of this year should not happen the one that comes with a healthy Anthony Davis in a Lakers in which he will continue in his last year of contract. Since he is in Los Angeles there is another important factor that will subtract some power from those possibilities: he has played 219 games out of a possible 295, 74%, an average far from what he managed years ago.
Prediction
With all of the above, a fork can be established in which LeBron James would beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record. Taking into account that he has one more year left on his contract with the Lakers and has two other goals, to continue playing at 40 and to do so with his son Bronny for at least one season (and it is likely that it will not be in the Los Angeles team). ), you should have no trouble breaking that all-time mark.
The total of points that he lacks would place him between February and April 2023 in a position to assault those 38,387. Knowing that his final in the NBA is not yet approaching, and counting on the fact that both unexpected injuries and forced breaks may appear, in the regular phase that will end in 2024 he would have a new, and perhaps last, opportunity.
At the rate of 27.1 points that James has on average in the regular phase of the NBA, he would arrive in 54 games. There are just over two weeks left in this season and the counter will start up again from October.
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