With 28 points against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, LeBron James is very close to surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA's all-time scoring list. The Los Angeles Lakers forward now needs only 602 points to get to the top of the list.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record is very impressive and breaking it will definitely positively impact LeBron's legacy. The four-time NBA champion is still chasing Michael Jordan, and becoming the league's all-time leading scorer will drastically help his case.
This scoring tracker will reveal how far the Lakers forward is from breaking the scoring record. We will also take a look at when James could become the leading scorer.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
LeBron James scoring tracker reveals how close he is to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
During his impressive basketball career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored a total of 38,387 points. The big man spent 20 years playing in the league, averaging 24.6 points and getting to the top of the all-time scoring list.
James, on the other hand, is a great all-around player. He does everything well, yet his longetivity has allowed him to get very close to the top of the list.
The Lakers forward has averaged 27.8 points this season. If he keeps scoring at this pace, James will surpass Abdul-Jabbar in 22 games. James will have a chance to get closer to the legendary center on Wednesday night against his former team, the Miami Heat.
You may be interested in reading: “I want to be like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson” - When LeBron James admitted wanting to be like NBA icons “off the court”
Besides the matchup in South Florida, the Los Angeles Lakers will also travel to Atlanta for their final game of the year. If everything goes according to plan, James could surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the All-Star break in February 2023.
When will LeBron James become the league's all-time leading scorer?
While the scoring tracker indicates that the four-time NBA champion could get to the top of the list by February 2023, this is not very realistic.
You may be interested in reading: NBA Christmas Games: Top 5 best individual performances on Christmas Day in history featuring Michael Jordan, LeBron James and more
It's important to note that the 20-year NBA veteran has missed several games so far in the 2022-23 season. Due to this, we expect him to sit out a few more games, which is why his he will most likely break the record in March 2023.
James has missed eight games for the Lakers so far this season. The team will play 25 more games by the All-Star break, so he can afford to miss a couple of them and still break the record.
After the All-Star break, however, the Lakers will only play two more games in February.
LeBron passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the All-Time Scoring List
On the 7th of February 2023, LeBron James finally passed Kareem and became the All-Time scorer in NBA history. In the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron needed 36 points to pass Kareem and he delivered, scoring 38 points in a win.
Now every time LeBron scores a point in an NBA game, he will be creating history as we are in uncharted territories. Nobody expected the kid from Akron to become the greatest basketball player of all time yet once again, the man defied all odds to prove himself.
Los Angeles Lakers Fan? Check out the latest Lakers depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.