A number of NBA records are set to fall as Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is set to enter his 21st season in 2023-24. Five incredible milestones could be reached by the four-time MVP before he celebrates his 39th birthday this December. If the future NBA Hall of Famer plays into his 40s, he might retire with most of them. Check out the potential records below.
List of 10 NBA records Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will likely break in 2023-24, his 21st season
1.) 40,000 career points
First off, LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time scorer with 38,652 points. The 20-year veteran is 1,348 points shy of reaching 40,000 career points. No one has reached this mark. On Wednesday, former Lakers coach Byron Scott was asked by Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on whether he thinks anyone will ever break James’ scoring record.
Scott replied, “No I don’t. And I think that the reason why is the consistency. I think that he’ll get to the point where he’ll have over 40,000 points in this league, and I don’t think that it will be broken, especially in our lifetime.” Last season, James scored 1,590 points.
2.) 10+ points streak in 1,151 consecutive games
Next, James has scored at least 10 points in 1,151 consecutive regular-season games. The four-time NBA champ is aiming to expand the longest streak in NBA history in the Lakers’ season opener on Oct. 24 against the defending champions Denver Nuggets.
3.) 3rd-most triple-doubles in NBA history
Additionally, James is currently tied with NBA Hall of Famer and Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd for the fourth-most triple-doubles in league history, with a total of 107. Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook is the all-time leader with 198 triples, followed by Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138). James logged only two triples last season. However, he recorded six in 2021-22.
4.) 6th player in NBA history to play in his 21st season or beyond
For one major milestone, James is set to become the sixth player in NBA history to play in his 21st season or beyond — joining Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Vince Carter, who has the all-time record with 22. If he plays into his 40s, Carter’s record will fall.
Not an actual record? How about entering the top 3 in career assists? Nah, James is off by quite a lot. He ranks fourth with 10,420. Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul leads all other active players with 11,501 dimes. John Stockton is the all-time leader with 15,806, followed by Jason Kidd (12,091).
5.) 1st player to receive a 20th All-Star selection, become a 20-time All-NBA member
Moreover, James could become the first player in NBA history to receive a 20th All-Star selection and become a 20-time All-NBA member next season. The Lakers star is tied with NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most All-Star selections, with a total of 19. His All-NBA honors are featured below.
- 13× All-NBA First Team (2006, 2008-18, 2020)
- 3× All-NBA Second Team (2005, 2007, 2021)
- 3× All-NBA Third Team (2019, 2022, 2023)
6.) 7th in all-time career 3-pointers
Furthermore, James ranks 9th on the league’s all-time 3-pointers list with 2,261 3s. The eight players ahead of him are Stephen Curry (3,390), Ray Allen (2,973), James Harden (2,754), Reggie Miller (2,560), Kyle Korver (2,450), Damian Lillard (2,387), Vince Carter (2,290), and Jason Terry (2,282).
In the 2022-23 season, the future Hall of Famer drained 121 3-pointers. The 19-time All-Star knocked down 161 3s in 2021-22. Barring a major injury, James will pass Terry and Carter on the list. The only way for the Lakers star to catch Lillard next season is if the Portland Trail Blazers guard misses a number of games.
7.) 8th in all-time steals
James is also set to move up the league’s all-time steals list. He ranks 9th in career steals with 2,186. James trails John Stockton (3,265), Jason Kidd (2,684), Chris Paul (2,544), Michael Jordan (2,514), Gary Payton (2,445), Maurice Cheeks (2,310), Scottie Pippen (2,307), and Clyde Drexler (2,207). Last season, James tallied 50 steals. In 2021-22, he logged 73. Of course, he needs 22 to pass Drexler.
8.) Top 3 in free throws
Not to mention, James is fourth on the all-time free throws list, with 8,087. Karl Malone leads the list with 9,787, whereas Moses Malone (8,531) and Kobe Bryant (8,378) are second and third. James is 291 shy of Bryant’s career total. Even if James plays into his 40s, Karl Malone’s record might be out of reach. Nonetheless, he could pass Bryant next season. James made 251 free throws last season on 327 attempts.
9.) 2nd in all-time regular-season minutes played
Abdul-Jabbar currently holds the record for most minutes played in NBA history with 57,446. James has played 54,092 regular-season minutes in his career, precisely 3,353 minutes shy of tying the Lakers legend. He is 760 away from catching Karl Malone (54,852). James could surpass Malone early next season for second place. Though, he’s a few years away from passing Abdul-Jabbar.
10.) Top 30 in rebounds
Lastly, LeBron James has grabbed 10,667 total rebounds over the course of his 20-year career. The six-time All-Defensive member posted 457 rebounds last season and 459 in 2021-22. Assuming he records at least 450 boards in 2023-24, the Lakers star will enter the top 30 in career rebounds.
This is especially significant, considering James is not a career center. NBA Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain (23,924), Bill Russell (21,620), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (17,440) are among the top 5 on the list. Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, the Class of 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, ranks 26th with 11,489 boards.
