Top 5 NBA players best placed to become league's all-time leading scorer after LeBron James

As of the time of writing, LeBron James is 485 points away from becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer. "King" James has always been known to be a pass-first player similar to Magic Johnson. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have the killer instinct to become a lethal scorer. In fact, he's still one of the top scorers in the league today averaging 29 points per game.

Never in his career has LeBron James averaged under 20 points per game. The lowest scoring average he's ever put up was back in his rookie season with 20.9 points. Since then, James has averaged at least 25 points or higher in the following seasons. It's no wonder he's about to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record soon.

The question now is, will LBJ's record ever be broken by another NBA player once the "King" decides to step away from his throne? Let's take a look at five players who could potentially break LeBron's all-time scoring record.

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5 NBA Players who could beat LeBron James' all-time scoring record

#1 Kevin Durant

Milwaukee Bucks v Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is the only active player closest to LeBron James' scoring record at the moment. He's sitting in the 15th spot on the all-time scoring leaders list with 26,634 points. KD is one of the best scorers that the league has ever seen. Similar to LBJ, Durant has never averaged under 20 points per game in his career. His lowest scoring average was in his rookie year when he scored 20.3 points.

He's averaging 29.9 points per game this season and is still one of the NBA's top scorers today. Durant is now 34 years old but can most definitely play until he's 40. He could beat LeBron's record by then, if not at least get close to it.

#2 Luka Doncic

Los Angeles Lakers v Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic is only playing in his fifth year this season but is already making huge waves in the NBA. The 2022-23 season is looking to be the year of Luka "Magic" as he is on his way to becoming MVP this season. Doncic is currently averaging 34.3 points, which is higher compared to any of LeBron James' scoring averages through the years.

Then there's also the fact that Luka Doncic is yet to average under 20 points in his career. Honestly, it's difficult to imagine the Slovenian superstar slowing down anytime soon. At the rate that he's going, it's inevitable for him to reach or beat James' record.

#3 Jayson Tatum

Milwaukee Bucks v Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum is making a case to be named MVP this season. He is currently averaging 30.8 points and it seems like he won't be slowing down anytime soon. Looking at his last 9 games, Tatum has scored more than 40 points three times. He's only 24 years old, which means he's only about to enter his prime. With that in mind, his scoring prowess could become stronger in the coming seasons.

If Jayson Tatum can manage to average at least 25 points per game in the coming years, getting to LeBron James' record isn't out of the question.

#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks v Toronto Raptors

Compared to all the other guys on this list, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a relatively slow start to his career. He came from averaging 6.8 points per game as a rookie and is now putting up 32.7 points a game. Given that he's already playing in his 10th season, no one can say for sure if he'll ever beat LeBron James' record. But it's still a possibility if he keeps averaging 30 points in the following seasons.

#5 Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers v Chicago Bulls

Donovan Mitchell is a player who's already had LeBron James beat on several records. Mitchell beat James for the most points scored in a game suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also has a greater career-high in points compared to LBJ. Then there's also the fact that "Spida" has a record of his own, being the only player to score at least 70 points and dish out 10 assists.

With that being said, it won't be surprising if Donovan Mitchell beats LeBron James for the scoring record in the future. Now playing in his sixth season, everyone is yet to witness Mitchell average under 20 points in a season.