NBA: Lebron James approaching 40 000 regular season career points
TheGoonies1985
Posts: 5,350 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Should happen soon enough. Will be the 1st ever to reach that plateau.
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TheGoonies1985
Posts: 5,350 ✭✭✭✭✭
TheGoonies1985
Posts: 5,350 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
As of today:
39 747 points
Add in his playoff points (around 8,000) and have him play out this year and next at the high level he is performing this year. Doing so will see his total NBA points scored exceed 50,000.
Will he be labeled a compiler?
It's unfortunate that other things have negatively affected his popularity:the flopping routine, controversial comments on various subjects.
boy oh boy, that is a lot of points. is he also the all time leader in minutes?
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Total game played 1465 vs Kareem 1560 who use to be first in points at 38 387.
Not my favourite player (not even close) either just pointing out he is to reach the 40k millstone soon.
That is a lot of points, incredible career for sure.
Dude is a machine, durable and productive.
Just checked.
LBJ has scored 8,023 points in the playoffs (through the 2022-2023 season) and has (through yesterday?) scored 39,771 points in the regular season. Adding the two point totals gives a total points scored in both the regular season and the playoffs of 47,794. If you add in the 426 points James has scored in NBA All Star games, his current point total is 48,220.
He is averaging 24.9 points per game through 45 games this season. If he scores at that pace for the remaining 37 regular season games of this season he will add another 921 points to the 47,794 points. That would give him 48,715 points scored in his NBA career, leaving him 1,285 short of 50,000 career points.
Oscar Schmidt of Brazilian pro basketball fame is the current all time scoring leader in pro basketball with 49,737 points. LBJ will likely pass Schmidt to take the top spot.
As of today LB has:
39 771 points
minutes played
Kareem 57,446
Lebraon 55,660
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
But Jordan is the GOAT, right??
To me yes having watched the NBA since around 1990. I mean if the points total made the different then Kareem would have been the best right before LB passed him. Karl Malone would be better than Jordan if we only focus on career points.
Jordan is the best player I have ever seen in the NBA he made each and every single game so fun to watch.
Some will debate this till the end of time but to me Jordan will always be the best and to others well some other player will be the best.
Al, why is this such a big deal to you? Does it really matter that other people think that MJ is the GOAT and not Lebron? Outside of Lebron's longevity, Jordan has had the better case to be named GOAT.
At his peak,you weren't beating MJ in the Finals, something you can't say about Lebron and before someone tries playing the "he didn't have good teams around him" I suggest that they read this link. Lebron has had more All Star teammates than any other former/current NBA star player. 7 to Jordan's 1,Scottie Pippen.
https://fadeawayworld.net/who-played-with-the-most-all-star-teammates-michael-jordan-vs-lebron-james-vs-kobe-bryant-vs-magic-johnson-vs-larry-bird
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
As to the who is the hoops GOAT argument goes, if MJ and LBJ played a game of one on one (first one to 21 points wins) today; and if MJ won the game I would agree that MJ is the GOAT. If LBJ won the game I would agree that he is the GOAT.
Al, why is this such a big deal to you? Does it really matter that other people think that MJ is the GOAT and not Lebron??
If not Lebron James, why not Bill Russell?? He dominated the game like nobody before or since, but I suppose the argument would be that the game was different. As far as the "players around him" argument, I would state that at his peak with his best teams that Lebron James played against better players and teams, but that's just an opinion. I watched both men and the latter part of Russell's playing days so I have a pretty well rounded opinion. Put the three names in a hat, pull one out and that would be fine with me. I just don't think it's an open/shut discussion that Jordan is the GOAT.
LeBron annoys me like no other, but his longevity is sick
24.9, 7.3 & 7.6 is ridiculous at 39
it's one of two things
freak of nature
or
daily consumption of TB's avocado smoothie w/ hammerhead shark left nut extract
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Honestly,my top three would be Mj,Russell & Lebron in that order. If someone wanted to make the argument for Bill Russell or Lebron those are both great choices and both have a legit argument in their favor,Russell moreso than Lebron imho. Out of all the players in NBA history, I have more respect for what Bill Russell did on the court, and off, than anyone else especially playing in a place like Boston at the time.
I do think Lebron did play against 2 dynasty teams in SA & GS that were better than any team MJ played during his 90's run but like that link points out,Lebron has had an insane amount of talent during his career.
His Cavs ring came against one of the GOAT teams in NBA history w/ that 73 win Dubs team and LBJ beat the Spurs while playing for Miami so its not like those other teams were head & shoulders so much better than his teams during that stretch. I do think that the Warriors with Durant were so much better than Lebron's Cavs, I'd compare that to Jordan having to face the mid 80's Celtics or late 80's Pistons.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
Erikthredd’s Nike Air Jordan Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/basketball/key-card-sets/nike-poster-cards-michael-jordan-1985-1992/alltimeset/408486
I am no LB fan just following the march to 40k since it never happened before.
He is projected to hit 40,000 points on 2/28 vs the Clippers unless he skips another game or two. The Lakers have two sets of back to back games coming up. Interestingly the Clippers game is a road game for the Lakers, while the next night 2/29 is a home game vs Washington and more Lakers fans would be in attendance.
Instead of having a GOAT (Greatest Of ALL!!!! Time), I suggest that sports should have a GOHT (Greatest Of His/Her Time).
In that way one can separate all time great players by the era that they played in (i.e. MJ played from the 1984-85 season to the 2002-2003 season; LBJ played from 2003-2004 season through the present and likely for another 2-3 seasons). There would be some overlap (i.e. Kareem played from 1969-1970 through 1988-1989) that would have to be worked out.
One thing about GOAT is that a literal reading of it indicates the time period covered includes the past, present and future. 100 years from now there will be a pro basketball player whose skill, talents, drive and longevity will make everyone think that MJ and LBJ are about 1/100th as talented.
Very few greatest of all-time exist but one of them is Wayne Gretzky in the NHL. Most of his records will never be touched. At this rate Alexander Ovechkin will not pass his record of 894 goals.
MLB: People say Babe Ruth
NHL: Wayne Gretzky will remain at the top in my pinion forever
NBA: Michael Jordan although there is debate
NFL: Jim Brown some say Tom Brady again there is debate
oh no. he just said someone other than bobby orr is the goat of hockey. bar the doors and lock the windows people, there is a storm coming...
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
As of today LB has:
39 843 points
As of today LB has:
39 868 points
132 points to reach 40 000
Should reach 40k in the next 5-6 games.
As of today 39 898 points 102 to go.
As of today 74 points to go to reach 40 000 points
39 926
Now at 39 991 missing only 9 points to 40k
He will get it in the next game vs Denver on March 2nd.
Well tonight is the night he will reach 40k vs Denver.
It would be funny of LBJ has an off night and scores only 8 points to leave him 1 point shy of 40,000 regular season points.
Needs 4 more points 1st quarter.
It is done 40 000!!!
The next milestone will be 50k total, regular season and playoffs. At his current rate of scoring that is reachable next season.
Welcome to 40k!!!
https://nbcsports.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6fc1310/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4917x2766+0+165/resize/1440x810!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https://nbc-sports-production-nbc-sports.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/brightspot/81/33/299da2bc4ac48e74bdc4f4d73ce6/https-delivery-gettyimages.com/downloads/2046568780