LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the world. He has already won four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, and four league MVPs. Incredibly, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA scoring record with his 38,388th point.
HISTORY MADE đź‘‘
LeBron James becomes only the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points. pic.twitter.com/uqLckZ9LY0
— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023
While LeBron is still in the process of adding more hardware to his already decorated legacy, unfortunately, there are some milestones that James won’t be able to achieve in his career. For this piece, let’s take a look at 10 milestones LeBron James will never reach in his career.
Slam Dunk Contest Champion
LeBron James is one of the most powerful dunkers, especially in transition. Unfortunately, James never competed in a Slam Dunk Contest during the annual All-Star Game festivities. Although James wanted to compete in the 2005-2006 edition, injuries prevented The King from taking flight.
LeBron James said there were multiple years he seriously considered entering Slam Dunk Contest, but says minor injuries occurred. The 05-06 season was a year he intended to compete in.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 17, 2018
Defensive Player of the Year
When it comes to defense, James has the ability to lockdown opposing players and execute the most emphatic chase-down blocks. However, James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year, an award that has eluded him his entire career. James has finished top five several seasons for the DPOY award, the closest being on the 2012-2013 season where he finished second.
LeBron James: "I'm highly upset I've never won defensive player of the year."
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) June 18, 2016
Although James isn’t showing any signs of slowing down offensively, his defense has worn down.
All-Time Blocks Leaderboard
As previously mentioned, James can make his mark on defense. Although he has shown us several thunderous rejections, it’s unlikely that James will be making the Top 25 in blocks. Serge Ibaka currently sits at the 25th spot with over 1,700 rejections. James would have to put together his best blocking performances for the next seven seasons to chase the 25th spot. Because of this, James would rather be chasing Michael Jordan’s rings instead of making the blocks leaderboard.
Sixth Man of the Year
There are a handful of NBA players who’ve won Sixth Man of the Year and MVP. However, it’s unlikely that James will be one of them. Given how much James has contributed to the NBA, it’s unlikely that he will stay long enough in the league to come off the bench. But even if he does, there are a handful of designated younger sixth men in the league who might be more deserving of the award.
Most Improved Player of the Year
Given how much James has stayed consistent throughout his career, it’s almost impossible for him to even be in a position to win Most Improved Player of the Year. Throughout his career, James has posted MVP numbers. It would take an intentional drop in production for James for a season and then posting his regular numbers a year later to win the award. However, a professional superstar like James won’t engage in something like this.
FIBA World Championship Gold
While playing for Team USA, James has won several medals including two Olympic golds. However, it’s surprising that James has yet to win a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup. In his career with Team USA, James has only played in one basketball world cup, which was in 2006. In the 2006 FIBA World Championships, James and Team USA finished with bronze.
James’ last tour of duty with Team USA was at the 2012 London Olympics. He has also missed several FIBA World Cups. With James aging, he might prefer to rest his body in the offseason instead.
Win NBA MVP in a Lakers Uniform
Winning MVP was one of James’ best accomplishments. He has won two MVPs with the Cavaliers and another pair with the Heat. However, he has yet to win one in a Lakers uniform. Despite posting solid numbers that make him an easy MVP candidate, James has been snubbed for the prestigious award. Moreover with young stars making a name for themselves such as Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, it makes accomplishing this feat even more difficult.
NBA Single Game Point Record
LeBron James might have surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, but it’s unlikely that he will drop over 100 points in a game. At 38 years old, James can still drop 47 point bombs. However, 100 points is pushing it. James’ career-high in scoring is at 61 points.
Most Points Per Game Career Average
Apart from the most points in a single game, James will also never average as many points as His Airness. Michael Jordan currently holds the record for the most points per game average at 30.1. James currently sits at 27.2 points per game. For him to surpass Jordan, James will have to drop herculean point productions in his remaining seasons which seem impossible even for any NBA GOAT. Nevertheless, James’ all-around game should make up for the point differential.
All-Time Assists Leader
Given that James is a stellar all-around player, it’s amazing to see him make the all-time leaderboards in points and assists. In terms of all-time assists, James sits at the sixth spot. We all know James can tally over 700 assists in a single season. However, that would be next to impossible given James’ age. Furthermore, with Chris Paul still starring for the Phoenix Suns, James’ chances of conquering the assists department only gets slimmer.
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