LeBron James has managed to set the record books straight with his statistics. There is one figure that can better describe his duration and output than almost any other. The sum of his points, rebounds, and assists cannot be compared with any other player who has ever played in the NBA.
And the gap is enormous.
1. LeBron James: 67,058 (43,162 PTS, 11,992 REB, 11,904 AST)
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar: 61,487 (38,387 PTS, 17,440 REB, 5,660 AST)
3. Wilt Chamberlain: 59,986 (31,419 PTS, 23,924 REB, 4,643 AST)
4. Karl Malone: 57,144 (36,928 PTS, 14,968 REB, 5,248 AST)
5. Kobe Bryant: 46,996 (33,643 PTS, 7,047 REB, 6,306 AST)
6. Dirk Nowitzki: 46,700 (31,560 PTS, 11,489 REB, 3,651 AST)
7. Russell Westbrook: 46,514 (27,160 PTS, 9,021 REB, 10,333 AST)
8. Kevin Garnett: 46,178 (26,071 PTS, 14,662 REB, 5,445 AST)
9. Elvin Hayes: 45,990 (27,313 PTS, 16,279 REB, 2,398 AST)
10. Tim Duncan: 45,812 (26,496 PTS, 15,091 REB, 4,225 AST)
11. Kevin Durant: 45,571 (32,206 PTS, 8,175 REB, 5,190 AST)
12. Moses Malone: 45,417 (27,409 PTS, 16,212 REB, 1,796 AST)
13. Shaquille O Neal: 44,721 (28,596 PTS, 13,099 REB, 3,026 AST)
14. James Harden: 44,616 (29,077 PTS, 6,757 REB, 8,782 AST)
15. Michael Jordan: 44,597 (32,292 PTS, 6,672 REB, 5,633 AST)
16. Oscar Robertson: 44,401 (26,710 PTS, 7,804 REB, 9,887 AST)
17. Hakeem Olajuwon: 43,752 (26,946 PTS, 13,748 REB, 3,058 AST)
18. Chris Paul: 41,616 (23,058 PTS, 6,006 REB, 12,552 AST)
19. Charles Barkley: 40,518 (23,757 PTS, 12,546 REB, 4,215 AST)
20. John Havlicek: 40,516 (26,395 PTS, 8,007 REB, 6,114 AST)
LeBron has 67,058 combined points, rebounds, and assists during his career. That adds up to 43,162 points, 11,992 rebounds, and 11,904 assists. The nearest competitor is thousands of combined stats behind him.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar follows behind him with 61,487. Kareem was a dominating player in terms of elite scoring and rebounding and put up a total of 38,387 points and 17,440 rebounds to go with 5,660 assists. Even with those mythical figures, however, he is less than five thousand combined contributions behind James.
Behind him sits another giant of the sport. Wilt Chamberlain produced 59,986 across his career, powered by a staggering 23,924 rebounds and 31,419 points. Karl Malone follows with 57,144, while Kobe Bryant rounds out the top five with 46,996.
James is in a universe of his own.
The reason behind this is the all-around balance of his game. Most legends put up historical numbers in one stat or two. But LeBron’s impact on every stat and playing at an elite level for more than two decades is unmatched. He piled up the points while playing as one of the best player-makers in history, and he had strong rebounding numbers as well.
His longevity only pushed the gap.
This season is the 23rd year of James’ career, which is another NBA record as well. LeBron crossed the 43,000 point mark this season, which only extended his position as the league’s all-time scoring leader. He also ranks 4th in the all-time assists rankings, behind Jason Kidd, and will likely pass him this season or the next season, if he decides to continue. The King also sits 23rd in rebound rankings.
At the age of 41, James is averaging 21.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. The numbers would represent a strong season for most starters in the league. For a player in his 23rd season, they remain almost difficult to comprehend.
The role itself has evolved.
With the arrival of Luka Doncic and the rise of Austin Reaves inside the Los Angeles Lakers‘ offense, James has taken on a lesser scoring burden, and his usage rate has dropped as well. He now operates as the third option and plays off the ball a lot. LeBron picks and chooses his moments to dominate as he operates behind the two Lakers’ stars.
The future remains open.
There is still some speculation about whether this is LeBron’s last season in the NBA. If he decides to continue, a farewell run with the Cleveland Cavaliers is a major possibility. But he will have to take the largest pay cut in NBA history, over $48 million, if he wants to return as a free agent.
Whatever the final decision is, one truth already stands firm. No player in NBA history has combined scoring, playmaking, and longevity at the level James has maintained. And the total keeps growing.
