During the 2022-23 season, many are expected when Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record that has stood for more than three decades. And on February 7, 2023, James etched his name atop the NBA’s regular season scoring leaderboard — ending the season with 38,652 points.
The thing is, James isn’t done separating himself from his fellow Lakers legend. Despite the twilight of his career (James turns 39 in December), the King is still going strong to the point where it’s inevitable – health permitting – that James will reach 40,000 points.
And former Lakers coach Byron Scott certainly believes that once LeBron James reaches the 40,000 point benchmark, no one may come close to King’s remarkable record.
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“He’s kept himself in an unbelievable situation, he’ll play another year or so and I think he’ll get to the point where he has over 40,000 points in this league and I don’t think it’s going to break much. in our lives,” Scott said in an appearance on Scoop B Selects with host, Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
While the impossibility of surpassing LeBron James’ record is not set in stone, there are several reasons why the ex-Lakers coach believes the King’s scoring record will stand the test of time. One reason Scott gave is that James’ long-term greatness will be difficult for anyone to match — especially during a handling load.
“I think that’s the reason [I don’t think anyone will break his record] is consistency. LeBron has played 20 years in the NBA and he has never been completely hurt and when he is hurt, he comes back,” added Scott.
It’s not a groundbreaking acquisition, as NBA teams prioritize the postseason health of their stars over any glory the regular season might bring. Therefore, unless the NBA returns to its status quo from before the start of load management, it seems that LeBron James’ record is safe. And if things break down properly, it will be safe as the world spins safely on its axis and rotates in its orbit around the sun.