The Los Angeles Lakers are one of several NBA teams whose NBA Playoff odds are very much up in the air, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that LeBron James has a legitimate shot at breaking some all-time records this upcoming season.
LeBron has a great chance to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most total points ever scored by a single player, as he’s only 1,352 points away from tying that record.
So he’d need to average at least 16.5 points per game across 80 games if he wants to get there, or at least 22 points per game across 60 games.
Comparison to MJ
Given that he just averaged over 30 points per game last season, it seems very likely that he should be able to get there in less than 60 games, but given his age, there might be a time period where he is dealing with some bumps and bruises.
LeBron James is always going to be compared to Michael Jordan, even if both players never took the floor against each other in NBA matchups.
Jordan may have him beat in rings, but we can’t ignore LeBron’s longevity over nearly two decades.
Early Days
LeBron came out of high school and wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the premier players in the league. But what’s crazy about all this is that he has hardly missed a beat and shown any decline since then.
Sure, there may be nights he doesn’t look as explosive, and he is a little bit more vulnerable to injuries at this point in his career, but in no world is it easy for a 37-year-old man to be averaging over 30 points per game on an NBA hardwood.
Points
Kareem’s record was once seen as unbreakable, with Karl Malone being the only true threat to break his record. However, the work that LeBron has put into his body and craft has paid off.
Now, it’s hard to see how anyone will be able to break LeBron’s record, given that it took over 30 years for someone to dethrone Kareem on the top of the list.
Unimaginably Great
The beauty of LeBron’s game is that he doesn’t always look to score the ball first. He is unafraid to involve all of his teammates and set them up for good looks in their comfort zones.
Lebron’s All-around Dominance
LeBron’s all-around dominance as a basketball player is a huge reason he was able to get to the Finals in eight straight years.
He did this four times as a member of the Miami Heat and four with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the NBA Playoff odds always significantly favoring his team.
After a one-year hiatus, he was able to lead the Lakers all the way in 2020, his second season with the historic franchise.
Lakers’ Future
All eyes will be on LeBron this upcoming season, even if the Lakers don’t end up being very good, as the NBA and the media want to be on top of covering the night he finally gets this done.
But as prideful as an organization the Lakers are, they’re going to want to get back to the playoffs and even win the Finals, but NBA odds aren’t in their favor, nor are many NBA expert picks picking them.
The Co-star That Lebron Needs
The Lakers will need a reinvigorated Anthony Davis to show up and help be the co-star that LeBron needs. The Lakers hoped they would dominate the league and win multiple championships together.
LeBron should still be able to get his high-point totals on a nightly basis, but on some nights, you can see the Lakers look to run the offense through Davis.
Lakers’ Possible Star Duo
If the Lakers can get the best out of their star duo, then we can very well see their NBA Playoff odds improve over the course of the season.
But the biggest storyline from now and to the beginning of the playoffs will easily be LeBron and his pursuit of becoming the all-time leader in points scored.
It’ll get the same type of coverage and respect as when the Golden State Warriors went an NBA-record 73-9 because those types of records aren’t meant to be broken.
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