While many thought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record would never be broken, LeBron James accomplished the impossible after finally breaking the 38-year record against the Oklahoma City Thunder. James has already carved out a long and decorated NBA career, but he’s also close to making more history. For this piece, let’s take a look at 11 of LeBron James’ next big records to break after passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Most field goals in NBA history
LeBron James just broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for points in NBA history, and this is another Kareem record The King will have his eyes on next. There is still quite a long way to go given Cap finished his career with 15,837 field goals and LeBron is at 14,053, but the current Lakers star is playing at such a high level that we shouldn't rule this out as long as he plays into his 40s.
Lone record-holder for All-Star Game appearances
LeBron James is currently tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 All-Star Game selections after he was named captain of Team LeBron for the 2023 All-Star Game. Given that James isn’t slowing down anytime soon, another All-Star Game selection is highly probable in the following year to make him untouchable in the All-Star record books.
Tying Kobe Bryant and Bob Petit for most All-Star Game MVPs
Apart from being on the cusp for most All-Star Game appearances, James also has a great opportunity to chase Kobe Bryant and Bob Petit for the most All-Star Game MVPs. For the most part, James has always excelled in the All-Star Games, taking home three All-Star Game MVPs. Having one more would add another layer to the LeBron James and Kobe Bryant debate.
Oldest MVP winner
Despite already being over 38 years old, James isn’t getting defeated by Father Time. In the 2022-2023 season, James is averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.0 dimes per game, which are clearly MVP numbers. Currently, he already has four MVPs. Matching or even breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for the most MVPs of six seems pretty far-fetched, but winning even one more would make him the oldest MVP winner. To do this, however, James needs to be on a winning team.
Break into the top five in all-time 3-point makes
LeBron James isn’t a known outside shooter. However, he’s currently holding the ninth spot in all-time 3-point makes, having made 2,237 shots from rainbow country. Given that he has taken more shots from beyond the arc as of late, it won’t be a surprise to see him break through the top five in the future. He has made well over 100 3-point shots per season in recent years, putting him in a great position to surpass Jason Terry, Vince Carter, and former teammate Kyle Korver.
Break into the top five in all-time steals
It’s a head-scratcher that LeBron James has yet to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award. However, he can still make waves in the record books on the defensive end by making the top five in all-time steals. Currently at the ninth spot, James can still rack up the steals to chase Gary Payton for the fifth spot. However, he needs to rack up at least 70 steals while playing for four more seasons. Given James’ longevity, chasing the record is still possible.
Oldest player to drop over 40 points in a game
While other players struggle due to Father Time, LeBron James continues to age like fine wine. In fact, at 38 years old, James has shown he can still drop 48 points. The record for oldest player to drop 40 points in a game is Michael Jordan, who was 40 years and 4 days old. Given that James can still score on a high level, that record seems breakable. Furthermore, this would be one for James against Jordan in the GOAT conversation should he break this.
Oldest player to tally a triple-double
While James is a great scorer, he’s also an elite all-around player. The oldest player to drop a triple-double was Karl Malone, who was 40 years and 127 days old. Recently, James broke the record for the oldest player to tally a 20-point triple-double after tallying 28 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a victory over the Knicks earlier this season. At this rate, it looks like James can still drop a triple-double anytime he wants to, even when he reaches 40 years old.
Only player to be in the 40K-10K-10K club
Given James’ stellar all-around play, he is the only player to belong in the 30K-10K-10K club. Now that he has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, James is in a position to not only become the first player to tally 40,000 points but also to become the only one to finish his career with 40,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists.
Chasing Michael Jordan in rings
LeBron James is the greatest player in the world. However, his greatest weakness in the GOAT conversation is the number of championship rings won compared to Michael Jordan. James currently has four NBA championships and needs two more to at least tie Jordan. Given that James is still playing at a high level, the window is still open. However, there’s no question that it’s closing quicker than James would want as the Lakers struggle.
Oldest Finals MVP
While the championship window is still open, James can also become the oldest NBA player to win Finals MVP. Currently, the record-holder for the oldest Finals MVP is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won it at 38 years and 54 days old. James should well surpass that age once he makes another championship run in the near future.
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