When Will LeBron James Break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Scoring Record?

It is only a matter of time now, a question of when, not if.

After pouring in 48 points in Monday’s win over the Houston Rockets (after dropping 35 in the first game of a back-to-back), LeBron James needs just 316 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring record.

Kareem poured in 38,387 in his storied career, and LeBron now stands at 38,072.

James, who turned 38 on Dec. 30, is averaging 29.7 points per game. Since his 38th birthday, he’s amped it up to 37 points per game while trying to lead the Lakers (20-24) toward the playoffs, or at least the Play-in Tournament.

At the pace of 29.7 points per game, he needs 11 games to pass Kareem. That would mean he would break the mark on Feb. 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena. If he is ahead of schedule, and closer to an average of 37 points per game, it could occur Feb. 4 in New Orleans against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. If not, it could happen Feb. 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks in Los Angeles.

Obviously, it would be ideal for James if he breaks the record at home in Los Angeles, where Kareem starred with the Showtime Lakers.

“I think he can be celebrated appropriately if he breaks that record in L.A.” NBA veteran Antonio Daniels said Tuesday on SiriusXM NBA radio.

Daniels reflected on LeBron’s evolution from high school phenom to NBA legend during a career in which he has served as a role model for generations while avoiding any major scandals or injuries.

“I remember thinking there’s no way possible LeBron can live up to this hype,” he said. “I remember thinking that, seriously. As a junior and senior in high school and he was on ESPN, and they were talking about he’s the greatest recruit ever.

“And here we sit today in 2023, some 20 years in, and he’s averaging almost 30 points a game and him legitimately in the GOATGOAT
conversation, a young man from Akron, St. Vincent-St. Mary’s.

“What a fantastic story this is, not just for LeBron, but for his legacy and for the NBA as a whole.”

Abdul-Jabbar has held the record since April 5, 1984 — nearly nine months to the day before James was born.

While Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook was his signature shot, James has never had one shot that defines him.

“It’s not like I have a signature one-leg Dirk [Nowitzki] fadeaway or a patented Michael Jordan fadeaway or a Kareem skyhook or a [Hakeem Olajuwon] Dream Shake,” James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think the only signature thing that people always talk about is my signature tomahawk dunk in transition.”

Jamesstill knows how to score in crunch time, too. He currently leads the league in 4th-quarter scoring with 284 even with 10 missed games due to injury.

“I mean, I know how to put the ball in the hole,” James told ESPN. “When I say I’m not a scorer, I say it in a sense of, it’s never been the part of my game that defines me. … But there’s an argument to it. When you look at how long this record has stood and the great Kareem, being able to accomplish something like that.

“But it won’t be for me to discuss because I’ve never felt that way.”