At 40 years old and in his 22nd season, LeBron James remains an unstoppable force in the NBA. Since returning from a brief personal hiatus last month, James has been nothing short of phenomenal, averaging 30 points and 8.8 assists in his last six games. His resurgence has propelled the Los Angeles Lakers to a 20-14 record, securing the 4th seed in the Western Conference. On the season, LeBron is averaging 24.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, proving once again time is his ally and why he is considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.
LeBron Sets New Record By Surpassing Michael Jordan
In the Lakers’ dominant 119-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron reached another milestone, scoring 30 or more points in his 563rd career game. With this achievement, he surpassed Michael Jordan, who held the record with 562 such games. Notably, LeBron has played 1,523 career games, meaning 36.96% of his games have been 30-point performances. In comparison, Jordan reached 562 games in only 1,072 appearances, with 52.42% of his outings eclipsing the 30-point mark. While Jordan’s efficiency in this category is unparalleled, LeBron’s longevity and consistency remain unmatched in the modern NBA. Even Anthony Davis took the moment to scoff and say, “It took him seven more seasons”. I personally believe that LeBron’s 23rd season will be the last of his career, what could be better than playing the same number of seasons as the number that most represents you in your career.
To put the comparison in perspective, LeBron accomplished this feat over seven more seasons and nearly 500 more games than Jordan. However, there’s a notable difference in playing style: Jordan had 174 career games in which he attempted 30 or more shots, compared to LeBron’s modest 50 games with the same volume. Personally, I think LeBron will never surpass Jordan’s fame around the world, but in terms of NBA statistics, he surpassed him a few years ago and continues to break every record. The debate over who is the greatest may never be settled, but numbers like these add another layer to LeBron’s argument.
LeBron Has His Sights Set on More Longevity Records
LeBron’s historic night didn’t end there. By playing his 1,523rd career game, he passed Dirk Nowitzki (1,522) for fourth place on the all-time games played list. With 48 games remaining this season, LeBron is poised to pass Vince Carter (1,541) and possibly Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) for second place. Every game he plays seems to bring another milestone, and that’s no surprise after so many seasons at an elite level. Next season-because he’ll play at least one more, since he won’t retire without a farewell tour like Jordan and Kobe Bryant-LeBron will likely surpass Robert Parish’s all-time record of 1,611 games. When he finally retires, James will almost certainly be the NBA’s all-time leader in points, games, and minutes played, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play the game.
