How does LeBron’s 33 impact the chase for NBA’s career points record?on December 14, 2022 at 5:58 am

When LeBron James passed
Karl Malone for second
on the NBA’s career regular-season points list
, he set his sights firmly on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the
NBA’s current all-time leading scorer.

Abdul-Jabbar has been atop the career points list since April 5, 1984 — eight months before James was even born — when he broke the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain. Now James has that record within reach, needing 796 points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s career total of 38,387.

At his career scoring average of 27.1 PPG, James would need 30 games to rack up that total, putting him on track to break the record on Feb. 11 against the Golden State Warriors. James has missed seven games this season, and if he continues to miss games at the same rate he did last season, the record-breaking game would come March 12 against the New York Knicks. Through 20 games this season, James is averaging 26.5 PPG, leaving him slightly behind his career pace.

We’ll have ongoing coverage of LeBron’s quest, including updated game-by-game projections and complete stats, throughout the season.

JAMES VS. ABDUL-JABBAR

Even though James has already missed seven games this season, he’s significantly ahead of the pace Abdul-Jabbar set in his 20th and final season in 1988-89. James has scored 530 points in 20 games in 2022-23; Abdul-Jabbar need 49 games to reach that mark.

JAMES

ABDUL-JABBAR

YEAR-BY-YEAR POINT TOTALS

20TH YEAR COMPARISON

“Hopefully we’re in town, because I’m coming to that game [when LeBron breaks the record]. If we have a game, I still might come to the game, because that’s a big accomplishment. I love Bron and everything he’s done for me and everything he stands for.”

TYRONN LUE

LA Clippers coach

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In the 122-118 overtime loss against Boston, James notched his seventh 30-point game of the season, finishing with 33. James was 14-of-25 from the field and 3-of-11 from 3.

LAST 5 GAMES

“To know that I’m on the verge of breaking probably the most
sought-after record in the NBA, things that people say would probably never be done, I think it’s
just super humbling for myself. I think it’s super cool.”

LeBRON JAMES

On passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

MICHAEL OWEN BAKER/AP PHOTO

James has scored 19 and 26 points in two games against the Nuggets this season. He has 1,026 career regular-season points in 39 games against Denver in his career.

MORE LEBRON JAMES

Edited by Adam Reisinger.

Produced by ESPN Creative Studio: Michelle Bashaw, Rob Booth, Chris DeLisle, Jessi Dodge, Heather Donahue,
Jarret Gabel, Luke Knox, Rachel Weiss.

Illustrations by Iveta Karpathyova. Development by Christian Ramirez. Research by ESPN Stats and
Information.

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