King James: The All-Time Scoring Champion

On February 7th, 2023, at the electric Crypto Arena, the history of the NBA (National Basketball Association) was changed, with a long-time standing record finally being atop by another. LeBron James, Small Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The accomplishment is truly a surreal feeling for LeBron. In addition, a huge reason his achievement is so surreal is that his game reflects being a pass-first guy and getting his teammates involved.
His scoring prowess has never been emphasized, in the likes of great scorers, such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, James Harden, and Wilt Chamberlain. He emphasized being the scorer many people depict him or want him to be. However, even though James may not be the most dominant scorer, he still is one of the best scorers the league has ever witnessed. The key to doing that comes from consistency, an all-around offensive game, IQ on the offensive end, and many more traits. For 20 years, LeBron James has been the definition of dependability in scoring the basketball. Since his entrance into the league, LeBron has averaged over 20 points per game, and this season alone, he is averaging 30.2 points per game at 38 years of age. For James’s entire career, he has averaged 27.2 points per game, which is 5th behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Kevin Durant.
In his illustrious career, LeBron has one scoring title and eclipsed 30 points per game three times, with this year being his fourth if he stays on pace. There has never been a combination of strength, speed, and athleticism quite like James, but that’s not what makes him such an elite scorer. Longevity is what sets LeBron apart away from many of his contemporaries. His routine of keeping his body in shape to play at the highest level for so long while also working on improving his game to adjust to the different eras of basketball is sensational.
After such a tremendous analysis by my colleague Thomas Walker III, my assessment is he is not the greatest scorer of all time. LeBron has never cheated on the game and earned every single point he has gotten. However, there are many more attributes than just points that make a player the greatest scorer. A great scorer is judged based on shot-creating techniques such as fadeaways, flexible release, unstoppable jump shots, and the ability to get to your hot zone on the court. LeBron had great dominance in the paint, but his scoring moves were fundamental, and by mixing that when his physical stature, he dominated. However, I regard him as one of the best scorers we will ever see.
To compare, Michael Jordan had ten scoring titles, Kobe Bryant had two, Wilt had seven consecutive titles, and KD has four currently and counting. Looking at those numbers and the film, they pull away from LeBron. The best scorer of all time will be the late great Kobe Bryant. His ability to transform his shot to create space on the court, due to his footwork, was eye-catching. As the numbers show, LeBron is a consistent scorer, but he had more of a finishing scoring style with layups and dunks. LeBron is a great competitor that has influenced the future NBA with how he plays. If mentioning great scorers, LeBron’s name is in the conversation, but compared to film and stats, LeBron doesn’t win the case for the greatest scorer. However, I am excited to see how many points he finishes with in his career. One thing is clear; there will never be another LeBron James.