Many NBA fans thought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s sacred all-time scoring record was here to stay forever. However, LeBron James proved that wrong by making history against the Oklahoma City Thunder to become the latest record-holder.

James got to 38,390 points after the game against the Thunder, and he still has several years of high-level play left in him. Who knows just where this record will end up when he's done. On March 2, 2024, he surpassed 40,000 points with a left-handed layup against the Denver Nuggets. Will he get to 45,000?

If LeBron keeps going and going, his scoring record may truly never be broken, at least not for a very long time. It takes a special talent to play so well for so long. But for this exercise, let's look at some of the players who at the very least have an outside chance of threatening LeBron James' all-time scoring record, wherever it ends up.

12. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has scored more than 25,000 points in his career. He’s also no stranger to leading the league in scoring, doing it on two occasions in his career.

In fact, he averaged as much as 31.6 points per outing during the 2016-17 season. Russ also has an incredible motor and could very well play for a long time. However, with his effectiveness waning at 35 years old, that dims his chances in a major way, especially if he continues to come off the bench for the Los Angeles Clippers.

11. Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is 33 years old, but he's still out here putting up 24 points per game for the Boston Celtics and is looking as healthy as ever.

Dame is approaching 21,000 career points, so he obviously has a long way to go. But if he plays for a long time and continues to put up these kind of scoring numbers for the Celtics, he could at least get in the conversation.

10. Stephen Curry

Steph Curry would be in much better position to threaten LeBron James if he didn't deal with those injury problems earlier in his career. As it is, Steph has surpassed 23,000 points at nearly 36 years old. The Golden State Warriors star is obviously still capable of putting up nearly 30 points a night, but the early seasons derailed him a bit, and recent injuries are also slowing his pace.

9. James Harden

A teammate of Russell Westbrook, James Harden has scored more than 25,000 points in his career. Furthermore, he has led the league in scoring thrice, averaging over 30 points per game in those campaigns.

However, playing alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and even Westbrook takes away his touches. Given that the 34-year-old is aiming for a championship, his scoring output is one of the sacrifices he must take.

8. Devin Booker

Devin Booker has never shied away from showcasing his Mamba Mentality. In fact, this is a player who once scored 70 points in a game and had another game with 62.

He also has more than 14,000 points at only 27 years old. Even with the addition of Kevin Durant, Booker can still rack up the points. If he can average 27 points per game until he’s 40 while playing 82 games, Booker has a decent shot at the scoring title.

7. Ja Morant

Ja Morant is the face of the Memphis Grizzlies franchise. For 2021-23, Morant averaged nearly 27 points per outing. Furthermore, he already has more than 5,000 points in his career at 24 years old.

Although LeBron James still has a huge distance over him, if Morant can match James’ longevity and continue to drop big games for the Grizzlies, the gap can still possibly be closed. However, Morant only played nine games in 2023-24 due to suspension and injury but is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.

6. Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is another player who once dropped over 70 in a game, tallying 71 points in January 2023 for the Cavs. Mitchell should also be on track to reach 12,000 points in the near future.

Given that he’s currently the best player on the Cavs squad, Mitchell has the keys to continue to drop high-scoring games. However, Mitchell will have to average 27 points per game until he’s 40 while playing 82 games per season. That’s still possible, however, it’s still a stretch due to concerns regarding longevity.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Despite only being 29 years old, Giannis Antetokounmpo has already accomplished a lot of hardware in the NBA that includes MVPs and one NBA championship. He also already has over 18,000 points to his name.

While a slow NBA start will probably hold him back from James’ all-time scoring record, Giannis is the main offensive weapon of the Bucks, which allows him to drop big numbers every night. Averaging 30 points per night is quite easy for The Greek Freak.

4. Trae Young

A lot of people still question whether the Hawks made the right decision of selecting Trae Young over Luka Doncic. While that’s still up for debate, a way for Trae Young to silence his critics is to go after James’ all-time scoring record.

Playing for the Hawks, Young has shown he can average well over 29 points per outing. Despite only being 25 years old, Young has surpassed the 10,000-point mark. Given that he’s the main offensive weapon for the Hawks, Young can freely collect the points that he needs.

3. Jayson Tatum

The Celtics have become a championship contender, partly thanks to Jayson Tatum. Tatum has proved that he can score in different ways, especially by establishing himself as one of the leading scorers for the 2022-2023 season. Furthermore, he surpassed 11,000 points prior to his 26th birthday.

As the focal point of the Celtics’ offense, Tatum has the keys to drop big games on a nightly basis. In fact, he has shown that scoring 60 points in a game is a doable task.

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA as a 7-footer equipped with guard skills. He has led the league in scoring on four different occasions, including three-straight seasons.

Durant’s best season saw him average 32.0 points per outing. Although an Achilles injury certainly prevented him from scoring more, forcing him to sit out a little over a season, Durant still has more than 28,000 points to his name. He’s the highest scorer on this list and the next-best scorer in terms of active players in the NBA.

However, at 35 years old, he’ll have to decide whether to chase the scoring record or to win championships given his age and past record of injuries. The key will be staying healthy enough to play 60+ games in a season, which he hasn't done since he left Golden State.

1. Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic has been dubbed as the next face of the NBA, and he has been living up to the hype thus far. In fact, he has posted similar numbers to what LeBron James did when the latter entered the league in terms of stuffing the stat sheet. Doncic showed what he is capable of when he put up 73 points in a win over the Hawks.

At 25 years old, Doncic already has more than 10,500 points to his name. Although that tally is still far from James, if Doncic can match James’ longevity and continue to be the face of the Dallas Mavericks franchise, the Slovenian star is on the right path to challenge LeBron James’ elusive record, especially since he's upped his score the past two seasons and is currently leading the NBA in points per game.