In the event you undergo the checklist of NBA career-scoring leaders, you’ll see a number of names that may not be acquainted except you watched lots of basketball within the 70s and 80s. Profession numbers are sometimes a measure of longevity greater than greatness, so the truth that Karl Malone has extra profession factors than Michael Jordan doesn’t imply he was higher.
Likewise, the truth that LeBron James is about to turn out to be the league’s all-time scoring chief mustn’t carry a lot weight in making an argument about his place among the many all-time greats. However the truth that LeBron has scored in double figures for 1133 consecutive video games via Sunday ought to imply one thing.
Lakers: LeBron James has managed to mix scoring with longevity.
In fact, that depends upon longevity, too: solely 67 gamers have even appeared in 1133 video games in NBA historical past. However contemplate this: of the highest fifty scorers within the NBA this season (via Monday), solely twelve had reached double figures in each recreation. Meaning solely twelve gamers have a streak that even approaches fifty video games!
Of these twelve, solely James, Luca Doncic, Joel Embiid, and Kevin Durant made it via all of final season with out failing to achieve double figures in a recreation. And solely James and Doncic have reached double figures in each recreation because the begin of the 2019-20 season. In truth, Doncic has the second-longest present streak at 210 video games. Meaning he’s solely 11+ years away from catching LeBron.
There’s a purpose that is so arduous. Guys flip an ankle within the first quarter. They get into foul hassle. Or possibly they simply had a awful night time. In spite of everything, there are 82 video games on the schedule, and most of them are towards actually good gamers. In LeBron’s case, there’s the added impediment of being 38 years previous.
There’s additionally the ironic proven fact that for a lot of his profession, LeBron hasn’t been thought-about a pure scorer. Early in his profession, he was extra usually in comparison with Magic Johnson than to Michael Jordan or different nice scorers. The truth that he’s about to interrupt the all-time scoring document whereas doing so many different issues properly is perhaps his finest argument for GOAT standing.
However if you happen to simply need to discuss uncooked numbers, contemplate this: in line with StatMuse, solely seventeen gamers in NBA historical past have compiled 20,000 factors, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists of their careers. If James performs subsequent season, he’ll probably exceed 40,000 factors, which implies he could have doubled all of these milestones.
To not point out being certainly one of solely 25 gamers with 1,000 blocks and 1,000 steals of their profession. There could also be gamers with extra rings or gamers who had been extra unstoppable, however for uncooked numbers, there has by no means been an NBA profession like LeBron’s.
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