LeBron James already owns one of the NBA’s most prestigious records, but Shaquille O’Neal believes the new Philadelphia 76ers superstar isn’t finished making history.
O’Neal shared his belief that James is motivated to push the NBA’s all-time scoring record so far out of reach that no future player will ever have a realistic chance of catching him.
“Bron is a modest arrogant guy,” O’Neal said, during an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast.. “For example, he’s loving the fact that he’s the number one scorer in the league. But guess what? I’m gonna put this s___ so far out of reach, nobody will ever do it.”
James enters the 2026-27 season with 43,440 career points after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2023. While the record already appears difficult to challenge, O’Neal believes the four-time MVP has his sights set on creating an even bigger gap.
“I looked at it the other day,” Shaq added. “LeBron’s at 45 [K]. He’s still averaging 20. He’s gonna mess around and be at 50,000 points. Guess what? Me and you both will probably be dead before somebody passes that up.
“The only way they pass it up is a four-point shot and a five-point shot, and then you get a guy like Steph Curry, who averages 50 points. So, LeBron thinks like that.”
The comments highlight O’Neal’s belief that James’ competitive mindset extends beyond simply holding records.
Instead, he sees the 21-time All-Star as someone determined to leave achievements that stand for generations.
O’Neal also explained that if he were in James’ position, extending his career would be an easy decision.
He said he would continue playing for at least another two seasons, create an insurmountable lead atop the all-time scoring list and chase another NBA championship before calling it.
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