“If the Mailman couldn’t, I don’t see LeBron James challenging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record”: A Reddit debate from 8 years ago shows how insane is it do what the Lakers superstar is doing at his age

Akash Murty | 20/03/2022
"If the Mailman couldn't, I don't see LeBron James challenging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record": A Reddit debate from 8 years ago shows how insane is it do what the Lakers superstar is doing at his age

LeBron James is now just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list, and it has come much earlier than anyone expected.

LeBron Raymone James Sr. has come a long way since making his debut in the NBA in 2003. There were many who betted on him turning out to be a bust since Day 1.

While few believed he’ll get buried under the expectations, some believed he’ll be great but not Michael Jordan or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar great. But the 37-year-old has closed in on anyone and everyone on the GOAT conversation.

Also read: “LeBron James has the most ridiculous one-leg takeoff I’ve ever seen”: When Kobe Bryant and ‘The King’ chopped it up over their signature moves

He’s the only player in the history of the game to have over 30k points, 10k rebounds, and 10k assists. When you think of it, that alone is an achievement enough to keep him in The Best debate even if he didn’t have any Championships or MVPs. Like his friend Chris Paul, who has won none of those things, but has got himself a place in the conversation to be the GOAT point guard.

Having achieved everything there is to win as a top basketball player in the world and more, James is still adamant to become the Top scorer of all-time and is doing it at a much faster pace than some people thought of.

LeBron James closes in on Kareem and it’s much earlier than it was supposed to be

On Saturday, the King passed Karl Malone on the All-time scoring list to become the 2nd highest point-getter in the NBA. And while this has been a long time coming for years now, it seemed impossible for anyone to get close to Kareem just 8 years ago.

Thanks to a Reddit user who pointed us to a debate club from 8 years ago where Redditors discussed if anyone could pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ever on the list. And determined that if the Mailman couldn’t do it after playing injury-free for 19 years, nobody will be able to do it, including James.

But “the kid from Akron” has crossed Malone in his 19th year and it looks like his top priority from this season onwards is to cross Jabbar.

Also read: “Unlike the Mailman, the King delivers every day of the week.”: LeBron James passes Karl Malone in the all-time scoring leaderboard

Averaging close to 30 ppg at age 37 while people were expecting him to be around 15-16 ppg is just insane. This kind of scoring peak is unseen in the NBA and it will get him to his goal in the next two years.

 

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
All-time scoring leader Kareem Abdul Jabbar karl malone LeBron James

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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