Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made his season debut on Tuesday night during the team’s 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz. While James found himself reaching another career milestone, becoming the first player to enter a 23rd season in the NBA, the 40-year-old finds himself on the verge of another significant achievement.
LeBron James, who was sidelined with sciatica for the first month of action, returned to the floor with a solid performance, logging 11 points, 12 assists, and three rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting from the field.
Given the mastery the superstar displayed while passing to his new teammates, James found himself inching closer to passing Chris Paul on the NBA’s Total All-Time Assists Leaders List.
With 13,691 assists over the regular season and the postseason, James finds himself only 70 assists short of passing Chris Paul to secure the No. 2 spot. Here are the current standings of players on the list:
Top 5 All-Time Assists Leaders List (Combined)
1. John Stockton – 17,645
2. Chris Paul – 13,761
3. LeBron James – 13,691
4. Jason Kidd – 13,354
5. Magic Johnson – 12,487
The Lakers superstar seems primed to surpass Paul this season. Given his career average of 7.4 assists per game, the 21-time All-Star could realistically secure the No. 2 spot within the next 10 games, on the condition that he remains healthy.
Meanwhile, Paul, although still an active player in the NBA, faces more challenges in adding to his total. After being given five consecutive DNPs, the veteran guard finally made an appearance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Unfortunately, having recorded three points and two assists for the game, Paul couldn’t improve upon this season’s averages of 2.3 points and 3.2 assists per game on 25.9% shooting from the field.
At 40 years old, Paul finds himself in a very different role compared to James. While one remains a superstar in the league, the other could very well be seeing their career come to an end.
LeBron James Falls Short On Regular-Season Assists
It is worth noting that LeBron James is only close to passing Chris Paul on this list due to the figures from both the regular season and the postseason. Given James’ extensive experience appearing in the playoffs, with a peak featuring eight consecutive Finals appearances, the superstar was able to find more ways to contribute to his team.
When only factoring in regular-season figures, James falls short by a significant margin, placing fourth with 11,596 assists, 495 behind Jason Kidd in third place. In comparison, Paul sits in second place with 12,528 assists, 437 ahead of Kidd.
Even on the combined total list, James has taken 1,855 games to reach his current position. In comparison, Paul has achieved his figures in 1,512 games. Given his career averages of 16.9 points and 9.2 assists per game, Paul is truly one of the greatest point guards the NBA has seen.
