The league’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James is looking to put that record out of reach for the future generation of NBA players, as James just scored the 39,000 barrier tonight. He’s the only player in history to reach that mark and will likely push to hit 40,000 points before the season is up.
LeBron James becomes the first player in NBA history to reach 39,000 points! pic.twitter.com/b6JeESJ6kA
— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2023
James scored 17 points in an easy win for the Lakers over the Jazz. He has had a very strong start to the season, averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting 58.7% from the field. His longevity has never been seen before and he’ll continue rewriting the NBA’s history books for the foreseeable future.
The all-time leading scoring record is going to be so out of reach by the time James is done that the only way it gets broken is if another player plays at an MVP level for 20 years, or the league ends up adding a four-point line.
LeBron James Has Set A New Standard For Longevity
LeBron James is in Year 21 of his NBA career, a month away from his 39th birthday, and is still an All-NBA caliber performer in the league. many are arguing James has a case for MVP, though that’s a bridge I’m not willing to cross just yet. What’s undisputed is that LeBron is reshaping what longevity in the NBA means, as Gilbert Arenas had opined recently.
“It just puts so much pressure on people. The fact that [LeBron] is 39 doing what he’s doing, makes 30 seem like you’re a rookie. Like, now we have a glimpse at what 38 and 39 is capable of doing, which means when players are looking like they’re slowing down at 31/32, I don’t know how we’d accept that anymore.”
Players in the future will have to reckon with not only Michael Jordan‘s incredible peak which defines his status as the best player in history, but also LeBron’s incredible longevity coupled with his peak as well. James didn’t peak as high as Jordan, but his longevity will make the GOAT debate out of reach for most modern stars we see in the league right now.
Kevin Durant Reaches 11th In All-Time Scoring
LeBron’s biggest rival of this era has been Kevin Durant, who has faced James in three NBA Finals and has been competing against him for the last 16 seasons. Durant is often recognized as the best scorer of this era, though injuries have restricted his time on the court, especially in recent seasons.
Durant moved into 11th in the all-time scoring list tonight, joining James in having a historic night, though in different capacities. Durant reacted to this achievement after his 31-point outing in the Suns’ win over the Blazers.
“To be amongst the all-time greats, the guys who set the standard and made the NBA what it is today, it’s an honor. That’s a lot of game played, a lot of shots being put up. To be amongst the greatest of the great of this game is pretty cool. I just got to keep going.”
"To be amongst the greatest of the greats of this game is pretty cool… I just got to keep going.”
Kevin Durant on passing Elvin Hayes in scoring for 11th all time 🙌
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/SgiYD8Zpow
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 22, 2023
KD started the night in 12th place with 27,300 points, trailing Elvin Hayes who sat at 27,313 points. With Durant ending the night with a total of 27,331, he will be eyeing Moses Malone’s position as a top-ten scorer of all-time. Malone has 27,409 points, meaning Durant could surpass him in early December.
While KD is miles off reaching James for 39,000 points (and counting), it’s great to see the two defining forwards of their era make progress towards leaving indomitable NBA legacies on the same night.
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