LeBron James becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is inevitable. In fact, it’s imminent. Even the referees can’t stop it.
But when exactly will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to clinch the number one spot? Let’s work it out…
So, LeBron is currently just 117 points behind Kareem. And here’s what that means in terms of when actually LeBron will get the record (as calculated by ESPN):
– At his career scoring average of 27.2 points per game, James would need five games to break the mark, putting him on track to do it Feb. 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
– At his 2022-23 scoring average of 30.2 points per game, James would need four games to break the mark, putting him on track to do it at home on Feb 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
– Since turning 38 on Dec. 30, James is averaging 35.2 points per game. If he maintains that average, James also would need four games to break the mark.
This all assumes James plays every game, and that’s far from a guarantee.
Missing another game could very well result in LeBron breaking the record against the Bucks on Feb 9 instead (also a home game).