- Byron Scott believes LeBron James’ all-time scoring record won’t be broken in our lifetime
- Scott says it will be possible if the King crosses 40,000 career points
- The former NBA player and coach says if Kobe Bryant was alive the GOAT debate would be between him and Michael Jordan
LeBron James created history on February 07, 2023, after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record. James finished the 2022-23 season with 38,652 points.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Byron Scott believes if LeBron James can cross 40,000 points in his career, the record would become untouchable. Scott made the prediction in an episode of Scoop B Selects radio.
“No, I don’t,” Scott said. “I think the reason why is because of consistency. LeBron has played 20 years in the NBA, never really been fully hurt. When he gets hurt, he comes right back.
“He keeps himself in unbelievable condition, he going to play another year or so, and I think that he’ll get to the point where he’ll have over 40,000 points in this league and I don’t think that it will be broken, especially in our lifetime,” Scott added.
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LeBron James is just 1,348 points away from reaching 40,000 points. If he stays healthy for the majority of the 2023-24 NBA season, it’s likely that James will become the first player in NBA history to score more than 40K points.
But being healthy has started to become an issue for the King since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, since donning the Purple and Gold colors, James has played more than 60 games just once in the past five seasons.
However, on the positive side, James has increased his scoring output to counter that. The 38-year-old averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists over 55 games in the 2022-23 season.
Byron Scott Thinks If Kobe Bryant Was Alive The GOAT Debate Would Be Between Him And Michael Jordan
The GOAT debate in the NBA usually comes down to between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. After breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record, the King has added another feather to his cap. James is now the GOAT in the eyes of many.
However, according to Byron Scott, if Kobe Bryant hadn’t passed away in the tragic helicopter crash in 2020, the GOAT debate would have been between him and Michael Jordan. Scott made the revelation in the same interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson.
“I think they would probably be talking more about Michael and Kobe,” Scott said. “I think a lot of people forgot how great Kobe was. And It’s not taking anything away from LeBron James. I think LeBron James is one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen. One of the greatest humanitarians in the NBA as well.
“He’s done so much for the community, especially in Cleveland, Ohio, but when it comes to the GOATs, to me, there’s a few guys you got to talk about.”
Scott then explained it’s ultimately difficulty to pick one GOAT because of the difference in eras.
“I played against MJ, I know how great he is,” the 62-year-old added. “Kobe had that same killer mentality and LeBron is up there as one of the greatest, but when you talk about the greatest of all time, I think it’s kind of hard to really justify who is the greatest because of eras that they played in.”
Kobe Bryant has always been praised for being closest to Michael Jordan in terms of having a killer mentality. Even Jordan applauded Bryant for having a phenomenal mental approach to the game of basketball.
At the end of the day, Michael Jordan stands alone on top of the all-time GOAT pyramid. As things stand right now, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are a tier below the Chicago Bulls legend.
Byron Scott Doesn’t Want To Be An NBA Coach Anymore
After playing 14 years in the NBA and winning three rings with the Los Angeles Lakers, Byron Scott retired from the league in 1997. In 1998, Scott decided to start the next chapter of his career by becoming an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings.
He stayed in the position for two seasons before leaving to become the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. Scott then enjoyed a 15-year career as a head coach in the NBA. However, Scott last had a job as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016.
The 62-year-old was asked by Scoop B if he intended to ever return as a head coach in the NBA. Scott doesn’t have any plans to do so.
“No. No, I do not,” Scott told Scoop B.
Scott coached four teams during his coaching career – New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets), Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers.
The greatest success he had was with the Nets as he led them to back-to-back NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Unfortunately, the Nets lost both times. In 2002, they were swept by the Lakers in four games, and in 2003, they were defeated 4-2 by the San Antonio Spurs.
Outside of that, Scott didn’t have a very great coaching resume. For his career, he had a 454-647 coaching record.
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