Lebron James is chasing history. With a 27 point performance in his latest game against the Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers forward is now just 36 points away from becoming the all time leader in the NBA of points scored in a career.
The 40 year old record that is currently held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who throughout his career had amassed 38,387 points. Many around the league have believed that James would reach the points record for a long time now considering the rate at which he scores points and his proven longevity in the league.
James entered the league in 2003, when he was 18 years old. James had broken many other scoring records in his time in the league also, by being the youngest player ever to reach other sought after cumulative points milestones.
James has had another terrific season in year 20. This has called into question how much longer he can keep playing at a superstar level, as he has been doing it for 20 years.
Many suspect James to have the goal of remaining in the league until his son, Lebron James Jr., enters the league. His son is currently a senior in high school, with approximately another two years left until he becomes eligible for the NBA draft. Many also suspect that he would try to join whichever team selects his son in the draft.
James’s current contract with the Lakers is set to expire after the 2024 season, which would be the draft in which his son would first be eligible to enter the NBA draft. Even if James remains in the league long enough to play with or against his son, it remains to be seen if he can keep up the superstar standard of play that he has been accustomed to for his entire career.
It would not be an unrealistic expectation for him to do so, judging by his past track record of longevity and based on the fact that this season for James is shaping up to become one of the best ever statistical years of his entire career.
The fact that he is able to play at this high of a level and put up the kinds of numbers that he is in his 20th season is nothing short of groundbreaking. This kind of longevity has only been seen before in the career of Kareem Abdul Jabbar, who James is chasing for the scoring record.
As James is all but certain to break the scoring record, many are beginning to have conversations about what this means for the debate of who the greatest player of all time is. While attaining the scoring record is sure to help bolster his case in the debate, the topic remains highly controversial and may be revisited once James’s career is completely over.
Jame’s feat of reaching and surpassing Kareem’s scoring record is one of the most historic events to happen in recent NBA history. When James does reach it, it will be a surreal moment for basketball fans across the world.