Long Live The King

A record right before our eyes

Wikimedia Commons

Records such as Mariano Rivera's MLB career save standard of 652, Henry Aaron's MLB total base compilation of 6,852, and Wayne Gretzky's professional hockey career points total of 2,857 points are virtually untouchable.

Add one more that is happening right in front of our eyes in full color mass media splendor.

THE KING ARRIVES
One of the most anticipated picks in the history of any sport, LeBron James was the second high school draftee to be a first overall pick in the NBA draft in 2003. Kwame Brown was the first in 2001. A 22% lottery chance turned into 100% reality for a struggling Midwest franchise.

Cleveland would never be the same.

Austin Carr cried. Cavaliers' owners Gordon Gund posed with the wunderkind's projected jersey. The naysayers were overcome--in the previous 12 lotteries, the team with the best odds did not claim the top pick.

“It was a very emotional time for me 'cause I knew if we got the No. 1 pick, I knew fortunes were about to change,” former Cavs player and longtime team broadcaster Carr told the Beacon Journal in 2003.

Indeed, James excited the city and ignited the franchise. Within two seasons, the Cavaliers posted a .500+ record en route to six consecutive winning seasons before LeBron moved on to Miami for four seasons. Cleveland did not have a winning season until The King returned in the 2014-2015 season.

25 PER SEASON
Regardless of his home--Cleveland, Miami or, currently, Los Angeles--LeBron scored. Consistently and prolifically. In 20 NBA seasons, only once has LeBron averaged below 25 points per game in a season (2003-2004, his rookie season with 20.9 points).

On February 7, 2023, in his 20th season, James eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career scoring record, a standard thought to be, yes, virtually untouchable.

At his current pace, in late February 2024, LeBron will become the first player in professional basketball history to score 40,000 points in a career.

Begging the question: will LeBron's record--whatever standard south of 40,000 points--now be truly untouchable?

Lets roll the math…

WHAT DOES IT TAKE
A player needs to average 2,500 points a season for 16 seasons to reach LeBron's mark. In the history of the NBA and the ABA, 2,500 points in a season has occurred 32 times by 17 different players. Only two players have scored more than 2,500 points in a season more than two times--Wilt Chamberlain achieved the mark seven times and Michael Jordan six times. 11 players achieved the mark once.

Perhaps, surprisingly, James has never exceeded 2,500 points in a season (a high of 2,478 in 2005-06).

Hhmmm…

How about an average of 2,100 points a season? 19 seasons.

2,100 points has been exceeded on 211 occasions by 80 different players in professional basketball history. 46% of the qualifiers have exceeded 2,100 points only once in their career. 14 surpassed the threshold twice. Only 11 players have scored more than 2,100 points in a season six or more times. Jordan achieved the feat 11 times, Karl Malone on 10 occasions, and LeBron eight times.

In addition to consistency, James has been remarkably durable. The King has played in 89% of the available regular season games during his 20 years in the NBA. Given that James has played in the most post-season games in professional basketball history (282), The King’s durability and high percentage of regular season games played is even more uniquely impressive.

Records may be made to be broken, but dethroning The King's career scoring record—whatever standard south of 40,000 points is attained—may be one feat that just might be in the company of Rivera, Aaron and Gretsky.

-30-