For two decades, LeBron James has been putting NBA defenses in a blender, before solidifying his legacy by becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points in the 2022-23 season, and has since added more. Heading this year into his 23rd season, the numbers will only climb. The question now is whether anyone can catch him.
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For now, James sits at the top with 42,184 points. The odds of James’ record being broken aren’t impossible, but they’re slim. There are plenty of young stars like Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic, who seem to score with ease. They would, however, have to maintain that level for the next 20 years to come close to the King.
Candace Parker and Dwyane Wade discussed this during a recent conversation on Wade’s WY Network YouTube channel. The WNBA legend suggested that James’ record could eventually be broken given how much more efficient scorers have become and how dominant the three-point shot is in today’s game.
But Wade, who knows the four-time champion better than anyone, doesn’t see it happening. “It’s not that they won’t be able to score that much. It’s the longevity to do that for 20+ years,” stated the Miami Heat icon.
The King has averaged 27 points per game dating back to his rookie season in 2003. Sure, Gilgeous-Alexander could average 30 points per game and is already close to doing so. But will he still be in the same physical condition five years from now?
Wade then reminded Parker that sometimes players have to make sacrifices to win championships, which includes scoring. “It’s a lot of things that go into play. In the league, at some point those guys gonna be, ‘You got to win a championship. So now you gonna have to sacrifice.’ So now it’s gonna change the course,” he said.
“And for Bron to be able to go through it the way he’s went through it all and play on this teams and still have his health and still get to reach 40… It’s a perfect storm,” added Wade.
James managed to do all of that for three different franchises. He’s won four titles (three in the East, one in the West) and has been to 10 Finals. That kind of consistency has never been seen before.
Parker agreed with Wade on all points, but still claimed it could be possible for someone to dethrone Bron. “It’s possible,” Wade responded. “But it’s damn near not possible,” the two-time champ said with a chuckle.
LeBron’s scoring record is a testament to durability, adaptability, and sheer willpower. Decades from now, people might watch highlights of him doing everything from coast-to-coast dunks to deep threes and wonder how anyone could sustain that level for so long.
Sure, someone might come close, maybe even surpass him in points per game. But matching the combination of longevity, consistency, and championship success is a completely different challenge.
