Lebron Jamesis the best basketball player in the world, and it's nowhere near.
How's that for your daily dose of obvious statements? If the doctor only prescribed one every 24 hours, you can sit back and close your eyes for the rest of the day.
It's also pretty obvious that LeBron has had a pretty stellar career, but sometimes we just sugarcoat some of his most impressive accomplishments. There are so many milestones he hits, so many clubs he joins and so many highlight reel games that some of them don't get enough press.
After LeBron's 500th straight game with double digits, let's take a look at some of the most impressive numbers of the yearintense heatSuperstar career.
Affinity for two-digit numbers
Al Bello/Getty Images
To find out the last time LeBron scored nine or fewer points in oneNBAGame, you have to go back 501 competitions, up to5 January 2007. In that game a 95-86 win over theMilwaukee Bucks, James scored only eight points for theCleveland Cavaliers, shot 3-of-13 from the field while Drew Gooden's 31 paced the team.
Since then it has only been in double digits.
against thatToronto Raptors, the reigning MVP dropped a 35th-place finish and hit at least 10 in 500 straight games. He is the sixth player in NBA history to reach this milestone. According to theElias Sports Bureau, via ESPN,Here's who he's still chasing:
Obviously this is a pretty outstanding company. Joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (represented twice!), Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Moses Malone is never a bad thing.
At the end of the season, LeBron should slip past Kareem (part one) and Moses, and he might slip past Karl as well if he played every game for the Heat. However, it's more likely that he'll rise to #3 on the list by the start of the 2014-15 campaign, so we'll have to wait a while.
At his current pace, LeBron would need to score at least 10 points in every game through the end of the 2017-18 season if he wants to catch MJ. It's doable, but it's by no means a sure thing.
If you're not already impressed enough with the historical impact he's making with his scoring consistency, check out recent streaks in the NBA to see just how tough it is to hit a number that big.
Kobe Bryantand Carmelo Anthony are two of basketball's most consistent scorers, and they still tend to play the occasional single-digit game. As a matter of fact,Kevin Durantis the only player with an active streak even remotely close, perBasketball reference.
There's quite a drop from LeBron to Durant and then another from Durant to the rest of the field. Only nine NBA players have active streaks of 25 games or more, so that should be saying a lot. Only 10 (DeMar DeRozan is added) have streaks that are top 20 games.
This may seem like an arbitrary milestone, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. Getting a night off in the NBA is easy, as is leaving a game early with a minor injury before you make it into double figures.
However, LeBron just doesn't believe in easy.
Vier MVPs in MVP-Seasons
Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images
The list of players who have won at least four MVP trophies is short and sweet:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6)
- Michael Jordan (5)
- Bill Russel (5)
- Wilt Chamberlain (4)
- LeBron James (4)
Even just looking at this select group of NBA stars, it's clear that LeBron has already become part of an elite class. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson finished with "only" three MVPs, as did Julius Erving.
Tim Duncan only has two.
It should be impressive enough that LeBron is one of only five players to have accumulated five Maurice Podoloff trophies, putting him in (roughly) 99.9999999. percentile of all who have ever played on an NBA court.
However, two factors make it all the more impressive.
First, there is the age at which LeBron collected his fourth trophy. He was 28 when he shook hands with David Stern and accepted his award at the end of the 2012/13 season, making him the youngest to do so. Russell and Kareem were also 28 years old, but the others were in their 30s.
Second, there is the time span between the first and fourth awards.
Check out how many seasons it took each player to become #4 MVP:
LeBron is in unprecedented dominance right now, especially when you factor in the titles, NBA Finals MVPs, and Olympic gold medal. OnlyDerrick Rosecould keep him from winning five straight awards, and LeBron is still in the midst of his prime. Winning #5 this year wouldn't come as a shock, and we wouldn't be collecting a few more any time soon either.
If our Miami superstar in question were to emerge victorious this year, he would be only the fourth player in NBA history to win three straight games. He would join Russell, Wilt and Bird.
Fine company indeed.
Speed to his current milestones
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The totals that LeBron has racked up at this early - yes, it's relatively early - stage in his career are nothing short of staggering.
Not only was he the youngest player to hit 10,000 and 20,000 points in his career (even faster than Durant), but he's one of the few studs to break both the 20,000 point and 5,000 assist barriers.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
AccordinglyDas Oklahomaist Darnell Mayberry, Durant hit 10,000 points 34 days after his 24th birthday, and LeBron did it nearly a year earlier. James was 23 years and 59 days old when he ran 10 km.
As for 20,000 points,Interbasket.netreports that LeBron was the first to reach the milestone by more than a year. Kobe Bryant was the second youngest, and only those two, Wilt and Jordan, managed to hit 20K before they turned 30.
However, it is important to note that there is a difference between the youngest and the fastest.
While LeBron was superlative when it came to the former, the same cannot be said for the latter. Wilt, Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Kareem, Elgin Baylor,Allen Iversonand Jerry West all managed to reach the milestone in fewer career games. However, there is no shame in being number 8 on this impressive list of goalscorers.
This is especially true when scoring isn't even his primary skill.
As impressive as these stats from Hoopsworld's Tommy Beer are, I'll focus on the scoring and distribution aspects.
Basketball referenceshows us that in NBA history only 13 players have surpassed both 20,000 points and 5,000 assists. So let's break down how many seasons it took each member of the list to gain access to this exclusive club:
- Oscar Robertson: Nine seasons, 30 years old
- LeBron James: 10 seasons, 28 years old
- Allen Iverson: 12 seasons, 32 years old
- Jerry West: 12 seasons, 33 years old
- Larry Bird: 12 seasons, 34 years old
- John Havlicek: 13 seasons, 34 years old
- Michael Jordan: 13 seasons, 34 years old
- Clyde Drexler: 14 seasons, 34 years old
- Kobe Bryant: 15 seasons, 32 years old
- Gary Payton: 15 seasons, 36 years old
- Kevin Garnett: 17 seasons, 35 years old
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 17 seasons, 38 years old
- Karl Malone: 18 seasons, 39 years old
LeBron didn't come to the club as quickly as Mr. Triple-Double himself, but he was the only player to rise at the professional level before he turned 30.
But among those players, LeBron has continued to excel.
Only MJ has a higher career player efficiency rating, and James has one of the most rounded statistical scores of the group. At the end of his career, he'll be all alone in a club when you factor in rebounds, steals, and blocks.
He's already one of only eight players with 20,000 points, 5,000 assists, 1,000 steals and 500 blocks. And it's not like his career is even remotely over.
Improve shooting of the ball
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Also, he's not done improving yet.
LeBron comes into each season a better basketball player, and that has made him an increasingly dangerous goalscorer throughout his career. Early on he didn't boast of much bounce and that was a clear flaw in his game that opponents constantly took aim at.
No longer. LeBron has now become one of the best jump shooters in basketball, and he can destroy a nearby opponent just as easily as he can with his physical outbursts to the basket.
Check out how his percentages have gone up over the last six seasons of his career:
How can you look at this and not be impressed?
Sure, free-throw shooting still needs some work, but LeBron is currently making a career-high 80.6 percent of his attempts. He's also hit half of his three-pointers while taking 3.6 per game, which is more than he's at any time since joining the Heat.
As scary as it is, the reigning MVP just keeps getting better. And that means that in a couple of years we'll be looking at a whole new set of numbers that represent his greatest career achievements.
The sky is the limit.
FAQs
What was LeBron's greatest achievement? ›
In 2023 he became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, breaking the record (38,387) previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
How many achievements does LeBron James have? ›James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists. He has won four NBA championships (two with the Miami Heat, one each with the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers), and has competed in 10 NBA Finals. He has four MVP awards, four Finals MVP awards, and two Olympic gold medals.
What are the most impressive LeBron James stats? ›His Stats Are Unbelievable
For starters, he is the only player in the history of the NBA to record over 30,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists. With total career points of 36638, he sits third on the all-time total points list and is barely two thousand points from topping the list.
| # | PLAYER | GP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron James | 1,413 |
| 2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1,560 |
| 3 | Karl Malone | 1,476 |
| 4 | Kobe Bryant | 1,346 |
Basketball hero LeBron James has become the NBA's all-time top scorer. The 38-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career points, scoring 38 to give himself a total of 38,390 in a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday (7 February).
Who has the most achievements in NBA history? ›Boston Celtics center Bill Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won with 11 titles during his 13-year playing career. He won his first championship with the Boston Celtics in his rookie year.
Can LeBron break all-time scoring record? ›LeBron James has passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Abdul-Jabbar had been atop the career points list since April 5, 1984, when he broke the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain. Now James has that record.
What record did LeBron James break? ›LeBron James breaks NBA's all-time scoring record, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter. LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points to move into the No. 1 spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Who is better LeBron or Jordan? ›Despite James being the all-time leading scorer, Jordan is a ten-time scoring champion. Jordan is also a much better player on defense, winning the 1988 Defensive Player of the Year and being named to the All-Defensive First Team ten times, while James has only been on the first team five times.
Where does LeBron rank in all time steals? ›...
NBA/ABA.
| Rank | Player | STL |
|---|---|---|
| 7. | Scottie Pippen* | 2307 |
| 8. | Julius Erving* | 2272 |
| 9. | Clyde Drexler* | 2207 |
| 10. | LeBron James | 2179 |
What is LeBron top 10 in? ›
LeBron James is in the Top 10 in NBA history for points scored, assists, steals, and made three-pointers. LeBron James is the man of the hour, making another major move in his case to be considered the GOAT after he finally broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record.
What was LeBron's best season stats? ›LeBron James had his best record in a season in 2008-09, with a record of 66-15.
Who is the No 1 scorer in NBA history? ›LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer on Feb. 7.
Who is the number 1 NBA player of all time? ›LeBron James notable career achievements
Only player in NBA history to record at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists. One of two players in NBA history to win at least four NBA MVP awards and four NBA Finals MVP awards (Michael Jordan is the other).
James has one season scoring title to his name (2008), compared to Jordan who has a staggering 10 season scoring titles. Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game in his career, the highest mark in NBA history. James is fifth on that list with 27.23 points per game, behind Kevin Durant's 27.28.
Who is the NBA goat statistically? ›Who is the GOAT in the NBA? The most common (and correct) answer to this question is former Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan. 'Air Jordan' won no fewer than six NBA championships during his time with the Chicago Bulls, claiming the Finals MVP award on all six occasions.
How close is LeBron to Kareem's scoring record? ›James, the Lakers star, eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career total of 38,387 on Tuesday, Feb. 7 in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles. Abdul-Jabbar had been the N.B.A.'s career scoring leader since April 5, 1984 — more than eight months before James was born.
Has LeBron ever had a game with less than 10 points? ›The last time LeBron James played in an NBA game and didn't score at least 10 points was January 5th, 2007 That 15 years of scoring double digits every night. CLE (95) vs MIL (86).
How long has LeBron played all 82 games? ›
LeBron James played all 82 games for the first time in his career. At the same time he became the oldest player ever to lead the NBA in total minutes played! No signs of slowing down. Rod Ervin Abundo and 7,243 others like this.
How many 60 point games does LeBron James have? ›LeBron James had 1 game played with 60+ points.
Who is the goat MJ or LeBron? ›61 percent of people claimed that Michael Jordan was the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) while 39 percent claimed LeBron was the G.O.A.T. An interesting occurrence about the replies was that the teachers who got to witness both LeBron James and Michael Jordan play, typically replied that M.J was the greater player.
Who would win in a 1v1 LeBron or Jordan? ›Now, a video of Magic Johnson has surfaced too, one where a series of his tweets have emerged, those that confirm that Johnson felt Jordan would absolutely destroy LeBron in a 1-on-1. “If MJ and LeBron played 1-on-1 10 times, MJ would win all 10. MJ is the ultimate 1-on-1 player.” Johnson said.
Who was better Kobe or LeBron? ›The Bottom Line: While LeBron is much more of a team player than Kobe was, and is more dominant and holds better stats, Kobe was a more versatile and complete player, a virtuoso with amazing skills and defense abilities.
Who has more steals LeBron or curry? ›...
Basketball Stats Comparison.
| Stephen Curry G - GSW | LeBron James F - LAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Turnovers | 122 | 147 |
| Steals | 37 | 44 |
| Blocks | 15 | 26 |
| Points | 1,119 | 1,388 |
He was the youngest player to be drafted by the NBA number 1 at the age of 18. LeBron has hosted Saturday Night Live. LeBron is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. He shoots mostly with his right-hand even though he is actually left-handed.
Why LeBron James is the greatest of all time? ›That's true. However, in addition to his four championships, James is also a four-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP, 13-time First-Team All-NBA selection (a league record), 19-time NBA All-Star, and three-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA.
What did LeBron James do to change the world? ›LeBron James' foundation is also a major contributor to ONExONE and the Children's Defense Fund, both of whom provide food, water, care and education to children in America and abroad.
Why was LeBron James successful? ›Throughout his career, James has demonstrated the secret to his success: being flexible and a team player. In his case, this has meant being on top of not only his role and the skills it requires, but also learning what the other players on his team need to do to be their best.
How many 3s has LeBron made in his career? ›
...
NBA/ABA.
| Rank | Player | 3P |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | Damian Lillard | 2347 |
| 7. | Vince Carter | 2290 |
| 8. | Jason Terry | 2282 |
| 9. | LeBron James | 2240 |
He has won both a scoring title and an assists title. LeBron is the oldest player ever to average 30 points per game in a season. LeBron was the youngest player ever to average 30 points per game in a season. His current average is far and away the most ever scored by a player in their 20th season.
Why is LeBron James unique? ›LeBron James is an amazing athlete with a unique style that sets him apart from other players. His ability to score points, rebound, pass, defend, and shoot the ball makes him one of the best players in the NBA. LeBron James has been playing basketball since he was five years old.
What is LeBron better at than MJ? ›On a per-game basis, Jordan is superior in the scoring department, but James grabs rebounds and dishes out assists at a higher rate. While both players are known for tenacious defense on the wing, Jordan finished first in the league in steals three times in his career. James has not yet claimed a steals title.
Is LeBron the 2nd greatest of all time? ›LeBron James and Michael Jordan are the two greatest players in NBA history, but when compared strictly as scorers, Jordan is almost inarguably the superior talent. Jordan averaged 30.1 points per game across 15 NBA seasons compared to "only" 27.2 for James in his 20.
Did Shaq say LeBron is best ever? ›Shaq says LeBron James will go down as the greatest player ever “He's got four rings and he becomes the highest scorer in the NBA history. He's the best ever. Ain't nothing you can say.” Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal recently made a bold statement regarding LeBron James.
What are some good things LeBron has done? ›Lebron has never let his fame go to his head. He set up the Lebron James Family Foundation. The foundation raises and donates money for several charities. These include Boys and Girls Clubs of America, After-School All-Stars, the Children's Defense Fund, Gabriel's Angle Foundation and ONEXONE.
Why is LeBron James considered the goat? ›He serves as one of – if not the greatest – all-around players the NBA has ever seen. Not only can he score at the most elite level – evidenced by his soon-to-be all-time scoring title – but, he can facilitate with the best of the best – evidenced by his move to the fourth-most assists in history.
Who is the basketball king? ›King LeBron James turns 34 today. He is often considered the best basketball player in the world and regarded by some as the greatest player of all time.
When was LeBron at his best? ›- March 5, 2022 — Lakers 124, Warriors 116.
- Dec. 2, 2010 — Heat 118, Cavaliers 90.
- Feb. 20, 2009 — Cavaliers 111, Bucks 103.
- Feb. ...
- March 20, 2005 — Raptors 105, Cavaliers 98.
- March 3, 2014 — Heat 124, Bobcats 107.
How many shots has LeBron taken vs Jordan? ›
BREAKING: LeBron James has passed Michael Jordan for 4th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 32,293 points. James did it in 117 more games than Jordan, while Jordan took 1,300 more shots than James. Lakeisha Kilburn and 5,232 others like this.
When did LeBron James become the best? ›1. 2013 Miami Heat. James's 2013 season is his masterpiece. He went 27/8/7 on a comical 56.5% shooting from the field, including 40.6% from three, which remains a career high.