• LeBron James is in the running to break more all-time records as he returns for his 21st NBA season
• James could become the first player to reach 40,000 points and break the All-Star game selection record, among other records
• James set 11 new NBA records during the 2022-23 season
LeBron James has made history almost every time he’s stepped onto the court in the last few seasons. We have never seen a player his age or with his experience performing at such an incredibly high level for so long. James is rewriting the book on longevity and can add more accolades to his name in Year 21.
After becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer last season and breaking 11 other records, James can set his sights on five new records he can set in the 2023-24 season.
Only Player In History With 40,000 Points
The record most people will have their eyes on is James pushing for 40,000 career points in the regular season. There is nobody left to surpass, given he became the league’s leading scorer last season but he can make his record even harder to break for future generations by becoming the only player in NBA history with 40,000 points. He currently is sitting with 38,652 career points, only 1,348 points behind 40K.
Hitting the 40,000 points mark will also automatically make James the only player in NBA history to have 40K points, 10K rebounds, and 10K assists.
Most Rebounds By A Small Forward In NBA History
LeBron James ended last season with 10,667 career rebounds, the second-most in league history for a small forward. He’s still behind Lakers legend Elgin Baylor, who pulled down 11,463 rebounds in his career.
James surpassing Baylor this season will be challenging, as LeBron needs to average over 9.7 rebounds over the course of the 82-game season. With his transition to playing more in the post and a spike in rebounding numbers, he is likely to hit the 11,000 rebound mark and break into the all-time top 30 of rebound leaders.
Most All-Star Appearances In NBA History
James set the record for most All-NBA selections years ago, earning his 19th selection last season. He’s the only player with more than 15 selections and will be looking to add a 20th All-NBA team to his name. That won’t break a record but being named to his 20th All-Star team will break a record, as James can break a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most All-Star appearances in league history.
Kareem retired with 19 All-Star team appearances in his career, so James will also become the first player in league history to make 20 All-Star appearances if he’s named to the team this year. It’s an incredible achievement that may never be repeated.
Climbing To Seventh In All-Time Three-Pointers Made
LeBron James will never be remembered as a sniper on the court, but the longevity of his NBA career means he’s in conversation with some of the greatest shooters of all time when it comes to three-pointers made over his career. James is current at 2,261 shots drained from beyond the arc, good for ninth on the all-time three-pointers list.
James is just 21 three-pointers behind former Finals rival Jason Terry in eighth place, who made 2,282 shots from three in his career. James can also leapfrog Vince Carter in seventh place, who made 2,290 three-pointers in his career and is just 29 shots ahead of James.
LeBron made 121 three-pointers last season, so if he’s healthy and on the court, he’ll easily break Terry and Carter’s records.
Moving To Eighth All-Time In Steals
LeBron hasn’t been playing elite defense for the last five years of his career to manage the wear on his body, but he is still exceedingly capable of making the right plays in the open court to force turnovers. He has racked up 2,186 steals in his career, good for ninth all-time, just ahead of Hakeem Olajuwon with 2,162 career steals.
James will be eyeing to at least rise to eighth all-time and take Clyde Drexler’s spot. Drexler has 2,207 steals over the course of his career, just 21 more than LeBron. Given James racked up a total of 50 steals last year, it’s fair to say James will take Drexler’s spot on the all-time steals list before the season is over. Pulling out 122 steals will catapult LeBron to seventh on the list, ahead of Scottie Pippen’s 2,307 career steals.
LeBron James Will Look To Keep Dominating
When older players enter a new season, most fans and media members wonder whether this is the year the player will finally have a drop in form. We’ve been wondering this about LeBron since 2018, as many believed his athletic build will not stand the test of time. He clearly isn’t the same player he once was, but he’s elite enough not to rely on his lightning-quick speed on the court to dominate opponents.
If LeBron can enjoy a healthy season, he may continue adding accolades to his resume that will undoubtedly give the title of greatest career in NBA history to him. But the GOAT title may still be out of reach for LeBron unless he pulls the unthinkable and leads the Lakers to a title as a 39-year-old in his 21st NBA season.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
