At almost 37-years-old, LeBron James doesn’t look like he’s lost a beat. In L.A.’s season opener on Tuesday, he was locked-in, putting up 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists per game on 56.5% shooting.
But with 18 seasons of mileage on his body, one has to wonder why Bron is still going as hard as he is. After all, wouldn’t it be better to preserve his body for the postseason?
Well, according to Shaquille O’Neal, there might be a reason for it. Apparently, the “King” has his eyes set on the All-Time scoring record, a milestone that would essentially cement his status as the GOAT.
“I know what he’s doing,” O’Neal said, via Broderick Turner of Los Angeles Times. “Championships are great, but he’s trying to pass Kareem up. That’s what he is doing. I know exactly what he’s doing. ‘Cause now if you pass Kareem up, it ain’t no talk about who the best player ever is. Think about that? I saw he needed to average [25] points or something like that the next few years, which he will do. He can do that in two more years.”
It’s just speculation by Shaq, so his theory is far from the fact… but it does make a lot of sense. Currently, LeBron is third in scoring, 2,986 points behind Kareem for that top spot.
Last season, which was shortened by both the pandemic and personal injury, James scored 1126 points. So, if he keeps scoring at his current pace (around 24-27 points per game), it won’t take but a few more seasons for him to catch up, but he’ll have to go all-out if he wants a chance.
Obviously, becoming the NBA’s top scorer would add significant weight to LeBron’s GOAT claim. As a 17x All-Star, 4x NBA Champion, and 4x MVP, LeBron James has accomplished more than most players dream of.
Still, that might not be enough in his mind.
