Today: Mar 29, 2024

NBA Sports Column

Jaylen CarrSports Editor

Lebron James broke the National Basketball Association, NBA all-time leading scoring record that stood for almost 40 years by former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Buck, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “The scoring record was never, ever even thought of in my head because I’ve always been a pass-first guy.” 

James may not have the same number of rings as Michael Jordan or Adul-Jabbar, but he has superior stats after age 35. Usually, we see a decline in great players when they get past 35, but38 year old James has defeated father time by averaging 30 points per game.  

At age 38 and in his second to last season with the Washington Wizards, Jordan averaged 22 points per game, while Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23 points per game with the Lakers.  

I thought Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record of 38,387 points was never going to be broken because it seemed out of the realm but, if anyone could beat the record, it would be James. 

According to CBS news, Abdul Jabbar said, “It takes unbelievable drive, dedication, and talent to survive in the NBA long enough to rack up that number of points when the average NBA career lasts only 4.5 years.” 

We are seeing something unprecedented in the NBA: a player at age 38 is playing like he is 28.  

Despite James breaking the scoring record, Jordan’s scoring artistry is unmatched. Jordan can close out a game like no other player can and has the best career average in the history of the NBA with 30.1 points per game. 

James’s longevity is one of the many reasons he is a top-five player to play the game. James is the greatest all-rounded basketball player because he can not only score but rebound like a center and pass like a point guard. Along with his 30 points per game, he is averaging eight rebounds per game and seven assists this season.  

Despite his incredible effort in the box score, the Lakers are the 13th seed in the Western Conference and two games back from the play-in spot. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have a losing record at home.  

The Lakers made a massive trade before the deadline, getting rid of guard Russell Westbrook in exchange for guard D’Angelo Russell in a three-team trade. This trade will help the Lakers because Russell can shoot threes better than Westbrook and is younger.  

But the key to the Lakers’ success depends on forward Anthony Davis. He was on an MVP trajectory in the first of the season, but he was sidelined for a month due to his foot injury. 

If Davis can stay healthy for the final 24 games, the Lakers can contend for a playoff spot this season but not a championship. The Lakers may make the playoffs, but they are not going to make it far because they still have some weaknesses on their team and are running out of time to win games to make the playoffs.  

Another blockbuster trade was forward Kevin Durant leaving the Brooklyn Nets for the Phoenix Suns. Durant is one of the greatest scorers of all time and will make the Suns an instant title contender for the next couple of years. 

The Suns made the NBA Finals in 2021 but came up short against forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Western Conference may come down to the Suns and the first-place Denver Nuggets, which will be an entertaining seven-game series in May. A battle with potential three-time MVP and center Nikola Jokic and Durant would be a sight to see. 

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