Entering his 22nd year in the NBA, LeBron James holds a plethora of records. The most impressive one is, obviously, the NBA’s scoring record. But at the same time, his longevity and consistency are as incredible as all of his accolades.
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In all fairness, James has redefined the word “consistent.” For the last 20 seasons, the 6ft 9″ superstar has averaged at least 25 points per game – a 20-year-long streak. The only season where he averaged less was during his rookie year.
And while his freak athleticism and father-time-defying antics have made us too comfortable in expecting him to continue, there is no denying that is already 39 and will be 40 in December.
His first three games have also been not as impressive on the scoring front. He is currently averaging 23 points per game and if not for his 32-point outing against the Kings, King James’ ppg would have been significantly lower.
While the concerns of him slowing down were far louder after the Suns game, they have become quieter after his game-winning performance against the Kings. James took over in the 4th quarter, scoring 16 of the Lakers’ first 21 points. He ended the night with a scintillating 32-14-10 stat line, registering his 142nd career triple-double.
He overcame a slow start to the game and displayed some vintage basketball, as he nearly put the Lakers on his back and led them to the win. Despite last night’s outing, it is still tough to shake off the fact that he is almost 40. Could this finally be the season where the 2-decade scoring streak ends?
Is LeBron finally slowing down?
Last year, James set a new record for scoring in the 21st season of a player’s career. Of all the players to manage that feat, Vince Carter had the highest ppg, averaging a measly 7.4. James bested that in his 4th quarter scoring alone, with 8.
Over an entire game, he had 25.3. He also played the most minutes of anyone in their 21st season, clocking in a whopping 35.3 minutes and this was in spite the Lakers claiming they would place him on a minutes restriction and not letting him play more than 28 minutes a game.
Carter is also the only other player to ever play 22 seasons in the league. He averaged 5 points per game in his last season. James has outscored Carter’s average in just the 4th quarter alone again. Despite being as old as he is, it’s clear that James has no intention of slowing down.
But the Lakers and their new head coach JJ Redick seem to have other plans and James’ fellow All-Star Anthony Davis is likely the go-to guy this season when it comes to putting points on the scoreboard.
Is James finally passing the torch?
Davis has had a MONSTROUS start to the season. He’s scored 30+ in all three of the Lakers’ games and became only the 4th Laker to ever do so. Redick has lofty plans for him and wants to make him an offensive force à la Nikola Jokić.
The players that the LA side has run are all catered to Davis, and fans finally felt like this was the year that James would willingly take the backseat. Yet, when things got too close for comfort, the team deferred to LeBron. Entering the 4th quarter, the Lakers were down 7 against the Kings, and then James, as he has done for 21 years, ran the offense.
He had 11 of their first 13 and continued to dominate with a stunning 16 of their first 21 points. He also went 3-3 from three in the 4th quarter. He and Davis displayed a flawless two-man game and didn’t miss a single shot in the final period.
LeBron and AD were PERFECT in that 4th quarter lmao pic.twitter.com/wxi6tOiao1
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) October 27, 2024
Despite what the game plan is, the true test of a champion is what they do when things get close. James is a champion. He’s shown time and again that when needed, he will step up and deliver. He did it yesterday, and will probably do so whenever the Lakers need him to do it again.
Yes, the season has just started. He’s currently averaging 23 points this season, and there’s always a slight possibility that he can’t manage his 25-ppg streak. But it is just three games in. He scored 32 on the second night of a back-to-back and played 34 minutes in both these games. His body doesn’t seem to realize it’s in the 22nd season of his career, and he’s still displaying the athleticism he showed at 19 and 29 years of age.
There’s a higher likelihood that James’ streak won’t break because he’s always determined to improve. Bar a freak injury that completely derails his season, it would be safe to assume that come 13th April 2025, James will end the regular season with yet another stellar scoring season, continuing his streak of averaging at least 25 points per game every season.
