“He was a Generational Talent”: LeBron James’ Rookie Teammate Never Anticipated 40,000 Point Milestone

When LeBron James entered the NBA as a rookie, he was one of the most hyped prospects touted to be the successor to Michael Jordan’s mantle. The ‘Chosen One’ had great expectations to fulfill and lived up to his potential in the past 21 seasons. Former NBA player Darius Miles had rookie LeBron James as his teammate in the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had never expected the then-young prodigy to reach the 40,000-point milestone at this career stage.

Of course, Miles stated that LeBron James is a generational talent who was expected to create records during his career. However, continuing the same momentum for 21 years straight was not something the former Cavs player had imagined of rookie LeBron then. Speaking to former NBA guard Lou Williams on FanDuel’s Run It Back show, Miles said,

“I knew he was a generational talent, I knew he was going to be a good player by watching him in high school. Like, just how advanced his game was and once you put him on the court, and you take him off the court with high school guys and put him on the court with older guys, it did not change.” 

Miles had observed in practice and summer camps that LeBron James became a faster and better player who could jump high right from his early days in the league. During the 2003-04 season, Miles was the designated floor general for the Cavaliers, followed by Ricky Davis as the shooting guard, LeBron James as the small forward, Carlos Boozer as the power forward, and Zyndrunas Ilgauskas as the center.

The former NBA player admitted to struggling in his position, suggesting LBJ as a better-suited point guard for that team solely because of his game prowess and bucket-getting abilities.

Nevertheless, in his one season in Cleveland, Darius Miles witnessed the rise of a future star of the NBA. Like him, many at the time would not have attested to the fact that LeBron would maintain his brilliance for 21 seasons in the league. Nevertheless, LBJ’s rise has genuinely been one of the most phenomenal stories for any NBA player to date.

Richard Jefferson believes in bigger milestones for LeBron James

LeBron James’ teammates can attest that the King is meant to create records in the league. James’ former championship-winning teammate, Richard Jefferson, believes that the four-time NBA champion might go forward to create more milestones if he continues playing further. According to Jefferson, if LeBron played for three or four more years, he could reach the 45,000 points mark to tip his career in the most ideal manner.

This milestone wouldn’t seem too far-fetched if James averaged 25 points for 65 games, per season. Furthermore, the record could be untouchable for the longest time until someone of James’ caliber would match this feat. Though the prospect of Jefferson’s belief does not seem impossible, it would be interesting to see the number at which LeBron James finishes his NBA career.