"He's tryna make records that'll never be broken" - Shaquille O'Neal breaks down LeBron James' motivation that fuels him to compete at 40 YO

LeBron James sits alone on the throne on the mountain of points that he has scored in his two decades in the NBA. But he is not done yet, as he continues to pile up the points.

Being the greatest at the game that he loves the most, playing alongside his son has been among the reasons that have kept the 'King' motivated. But for Shaquille O'Neal, there is another factor that motivates LeBron to play at 40 years old.

In conversation with his co-host Adam Lefkoe on "The Big Podcast with Shaq," Shaquille O'Neal said that if he had broken Kareem Abdul Jabbar's record, he would have been at a bar every week. He said the LA Lakers star is motivated to get a scoring record that would never be broken.

"You ask what are you doing it for because I would have broke Kareem's record, I'd have been done, I'd have been at hookah bars every week," Shaq said (39:57 onwards). "But I think he is trying to get 50,000 mark now...he is trying to make records that will never be broken again."

Shaq also said that James was probably aiming for over 46,000 points in the regular season alone.

LeBron James recently became the first player to touch the 50,000-point mark in regular season and playoffs combined. He has 41,924 points in the regular season and 8,162 points in the playoffs.

Shaquille O'Neal breaks gives his prediction about LeBron James and the Lakers' shot at NBA title

Since the Luka Doncic trade, the Lakers' chance of winning the championship this season has skyrocketed. With LeBron James playing like an MVP contender and the defensive stretch that the team has played since February, they were arguably one of the top three-four teams in the league.

However, there were still questions regarding them being able to sustain their stellar game on both ends of the floor. But Shaquille O'Neal still believes that LeBron James and the Lakers have a shot at the title this season.

According to the four-time NBA champion, if the top three stars on the Lakers play their best game, LA can win the title this year.

"I think, can they win the championship this year? Gotta be hot," Shaq said. "Like if he is playing great, Luka is playing great, Reaves is playing great and the others are stepping in, they have a chance."

Luka Doncic and LeBron James are two of the certified playoff players in NBA history. As far as Austin Reaves is concerned, he is not a scrub either. In 2023, when the Lakers reached the Western Conference finals, Reaves proved that he could make a significant contribution.

However, there are still concerns that JJ Redick and his team have to address. They still lack a size and a rim protector big man that could cause a problem in their defense. Moreover, their rebounding on both ends of the floor has been a big problem and at times has even cost them the game.