FILE – Los Angeles Lakers ahead LeBron James (23) reacts through the first half of an NBA basketball sport in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photograph/Etienne Laurent, File)
LeBron James is getting into his record-tying twenty second NBA season, a mark that solely newly enshrined Basketball Corridor of Famer Vince Carter has reached.
Clearly, that’s not the one quantity that jumps out when speaking about James’ profession.
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Already the NBA’s profession scoring chief and now a four-time Olympic medalist, James’ physique of labor within the league is obvious by taking a look at nearly any stat checklist that may be drummed up. And this yr, the Los Angeles Lakers star — who is ready to play alongside son Bronny this season — is ready to maintain climbing the charts.
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A glance inside James’ statistics and his still-evolving place in NBA historical past:
LeBron has by no means been common
This is among the extra fascinating stats of James’ profession. So far — and this has been the case for almost all of his time within the NBA — James averages 27 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists per sport.
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However he’s by no means had a median evening.
None of James’ 1,492 regular-season video games (or any of his 287 playoff video games) has ended with him having precisely 27 factors, seven rebounds and 7 assists. He’s been shut, many instances — 77 video games ended with him scoring precisely 27 factors, 11 video games had him with 27 factors and 7 rebounds, six video games had him with 27 factors and 7 assists, and 11 video games noticed him one rebound and one help away from ending at 27-7-7.
For the document, 27-7-7 nights are uncommon. There’s been solely 51 in NBA historical past, not counting 4 others within the playoffs.
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Jerry West had two within the common season and yet one more in postseason play. Grant Hill, Russell Westbrook and Jo Jo White all had 27-7-7 video games twice. Kevin Durant has one within the common season and yet one more within the playoffs.
No one else has ever had multiple. Paul George had the one such sport final season.
Lakers star chasing Kareem, once more
James is on the verge of catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but once more in just a few methods.
James — the NBA all-time scoring king after passing Abdul-Jabbar atop that checklist in February 2023 — enters this season No. 6 on the checklist of standard season video games performed with 1,492.
He can’t take excessive spot this season; Robert Parish has performed 1,611 video games. However James, if he performs in 68 video games, might catch Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) for No. 2 on the checklist. In that situation, he’ll even have handed Vince Carter (1,541) for No. 3, Dirk Nowitzki (1,522) for No. 4 and John Stockton (1,504) for No. 5.
Together with playoffs, although, James is on tempo to grow to be the chief presumably as early as late November. He has appeared in 1,779 whole video games, 16 behind Parish (1,795) and 18 behind Abdul-Jabbar (1,797). That doesn’t embrace James’ look within the inaugural NBA Cup championship sport, which isn’t factored into official stats as a result of it doesn’t rely within the standings.
If James doesn’t miss video games, he would seem in his record-setting 1,798th sport, formally and together with playoffs, on Nov. 29 at house in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis.
And in regular-season minutes, James is No. 2 with 56,597. That’s 849 away from Abdul-Jabbar’s document there of 57,446. At his present common of round 35 minutes per sport, James might catch Abdul-Jabbar someday across the Lakers’ Christmas Day sport in opposition to Golden State.
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LeBron climbing different lists
A breakdown of the place James sits on different lists and what he must do to maintain climbing:
— Subject targets: James is presently No. 2, precisely 1,000 behind Abdul-Jabbar (15,837 to 14,837) in regular-season play. Including in playoffs, James is No. 2 has 17,765 — 428 away from Abdul-Jabbar’s mark.
— Free throws: James is No. 3 with 8,390 in regular-season play, 141 away from matching No. 2 Moses Malone (8,531). The document is probably going out of attain except James performs many extra seasons; Karl Malone is No. 1 on the checklist with 9,787.
— Assists: James is No. 4 with 11,009 in regular-season play. San Antonio’s Chris Paul is No. 3 with 11,894; as a result of Paul remains to be taking part in it appears unlikely that James will probably be transferring up on that checklist this season.
— 3-pointers: James is No. 8 with 2,410, 40 again of No. 7 Kyle Korver.
— Steals: James is No. 8 with 2,275 in regular-season play, 32 again of No. 7 Scottie Pippen (2,307) and 35 again of No. 6 Maurice Cheeks (2,310).
Life at 40 (and past) for LeBron
James turns 40 on Dec. 30, which suggests he might play in 53 video games this season after reaching that milestone birthday.
And as soon as he will get there — the Lakers’ first sport after the large birthday is the subsequent evening, New 12 months’s Eve at house in opposition to one in every of his former golf equipment, the Cleveland Cavaliers — James will begin transferring up the 40-and-older charts as properly.
He’ll grow to be the thirtieth participant to seem in an NBA sport after turning 40. Of the earlier 29, solely 13 scored greater than 100 factors after reaching that age and solely 4 — Abdul-Jabbar (1,941), Parish (1,706), Carter (1,433) and John Stockton (1,088) — scored at the least 1,000 factors after reaching 40.
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James has probably the most NBA factors by a teen (2,362, 603 greater than Kobe Bryant), most by a participant in his 20s (21,539, 53 greater than Wilt Chamberlain) and is third for scoring in his 30s. He has 16,573 factors since turning 30; Karl Malone had 19,387 and Abdul-Jabbar 17,808.
