Will LeBron become the NBA All-Time Point Leader before he retires?

[Gooch1034]

LeBron is roughly 8,000 points behind Kareem. If he can keep his ppg at 25 or above, then he could pass Kareem by the time he is 38 years old if he can stay healthy. Dirk probably wont make it to the top 4 before he retires. Carmelo Anthony has over 25,000 points so I could see him finishing in the top 10 at the very least.

1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
2 Karl Malone 36,928
3 Kobe Bryant 33,643
4 Michael Jordan 32,292
5 Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
6 DIRK NOWITZKI 30,951
7 LeBRON JAMES 30,236
8 Shaquille O'Neal 28,596
9 Moses Malone 27,409
10 Elvin Hayes 27,313
11 Hakeem Olajuwon 26,946
12 Oscar Robertson 26,710
13 Dominique Wilkins 26,668
14 Tim Duncan 26,496
15 Paul Pierce 26,397
16 John Havlicek 26,395
17 Kevin Garnett 26,071
18 Alex English 25,613
19 Reggie Miller 25,279
20 Jerry West 25,192
21 CARMELO ANTHONY 25,072
22 Patrick Ewing 24,815
23 VINCE CARTER 24,731
24 Ray Allen 24,505
25 Allen Iverson 24,368

 

[Shanemansj13]

Yes

 

[MHSL82]

Well, he won't after he retires...

 

[Mecca]

No.

 

[Gooch1034]

Well, he won't after he retires...

 

[Ojb81]

that'll be hard to do when he's coming off the bench in mop-duty here soon

 

[tlance]

If it is important to him, he will do it.

 

[trojanfan12]

No

 

[wildturkey]

FWIW, Lebron has averaged 25 to 26pts the last 5 seasons. So if you say yes, you're saying he's going to continue to play at this level for the next 5 years (he's 33 right now). Of course, he could play longer which would lower the PPG requirement slightly. Just providing some context.

I'll say yes. He's been in great health his entire career and just seems like one of those people gifted with freak athleticism and health so I can see him playing until 40. Maybe even beyond (Lebron Jr is 13. I could definitely see Sr wanting to play long enough to be in the league with his son). So I think he gets it through longevity even with a very slight dip in production from aging.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

I cant believe Vince Carter still plays basketball

 

[flyerhawk]

If I had to bet I would say yes. If he average 25 points for the next 5 seasons, he will break the record.

 

[Shanemansj13]

FWIW, Lebron has averaged 25 to 26pts the last 5 seasons. So if you say yes, you're saying he's going to continue to play at this level for the next 5 years (he's 33 right now). Of course, he could play longer which would lower the PPG requirement slightly. Just providing some context.

I'll say yes. He's been in great health his entire career and just seems like one of those people gifted with freak athleticism and health so I can see him playing until 40. Maybe even beyond (Lebron Jr is 13. I could definitely see Sr wanting to play long enough to be in the league with his son). So I think he gets it through longevity even with a very slight dip in production from aging.

Yeah well that is if he only plays until he is 38. I think he plays longer than 38 but his PPG go down every season after 3 more seasons of around 25 PPG. I think he can break the record when he is 39 maybe sooner

 

[larryjohn]

Well, he won't after he retires...

MJ scored quite a few points after his first retirement ... and some more after his 2nd one.

 

[trojanfan12]

MJ scored quite a few points after his first retirement ... and some more after his 2nd one.

That's why he's GOAT. lol

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

Kobe was going to break it and theen BOOM, injuries took over. If Lebron stay healthy enough, then he will break it.

 

[trojanfan12]

Honestly, imo, I think it really depends on a few factors. Some within Lebron's control, some not.

The main one is...how long does he WANT to play? He's what? 33? 34? He's got a lot of mileage on his body. Because of all of the playoff appearances, finals runs, and even Olympics...you can probably add 3+ more seasons worth of games beyond his actual years in the league. He is starting to give a lot more attention to things he wants to do business wise, etc. outside of/after basketball. That is usually the first indicator that a player is starting to think about retirement.

How long CAN he play? By that I mean, how long can he play at this level. Like the saying goes...Father Time is undefeated. Right now, Lebron is still the best in the game. But the gap has closed considerably and you can see that he is declining a bit. Can he keep playing at close to his current level long enough? He doesn't seem like he'd want to go out as a 3rd or 4th option. So, he may choose to retire rather than look like a guy looking to be carried to one last ring ala Shaq.

Can he ever get his workload lightened? Ever since at least year 3 in Miami, we've heard that Lebron is looking to lessen his workload. Yet, every year, it seems to get bigger. Unless that happens, having to carry so much of the load will likely start taking it's toll at a faster pace. With the trade, it looks like his load may finally be a little lighter. We'll see if it lasts or is just the byproduct of getting new guys in.

Can he continue to remain healthy? Lebron has had remarkable health for his entire career. I can't even remember him having so much as a sprained ankle. If he can continue to avoid injury, that will help his chances greatly.

I don't think he gets there, but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. I think he'll get to at least #2 though.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kobe was going to break it and theen BOOM, injuries took over. If Lebron stay healthy enough, then he will break it.

He would have needed 3 full seasons averaging 27 ppg and getting around 38 mpg and he still would be short of the record and 38. Kobe needed to slow down and transition his game more to suit his age but that wasn’t his mentality and I’m sure he doesn’t regret it one bit. No way he was lasting with his style of play

 

[Heatles84]

I'm going to go with no. Lebron's already coasting on the defensive end of his game the last couple of years compared to years prior. It's a sign that he's not operating at the same capacity in the prime. Obviously, still the greatest player in this era, but to average 25 ppg over the next 5 years - I doubt it.

 

[tducey]

Yeah, I think he will.

 

[Shanemansj13]

8 titles. 8 NBA Finals MVP’s. 5 NBA mvps. 40K point club (1st ever). 1st NBA player to retore his hairline TWICE. Greatest player ever. Great NBA owner to come. GREAT coach while being a player. GOAT.