LeBron James will soon break the NBA scoring record, and betting books have odds on how that will happen. [Image: Flickr.com / Erik Drost]
Odds are, LeBron will soon break the scoring record
LeBron James is about to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record, and odds are he will in the next month.
LeBron is only 422 points behind the “Captain” despite being the “passing first” guy. Abdul-Jabbar set the record in April 1984 and relied on it until his retirement in 1989, having been unharmed since.
He would break the record in 15 games
Based on LeBron’s average season scoring average of 29.1 points per game, he would break the 15-game scoring record. Even if he misses time due to injuries or managing loads, it seems impossible for him not to set the record in the remaining 41 matches.
How will the record fall?
LeBron was able to draw close to the record due to his durability. He spent the first 15 years of his career with an iron man reputation, and although he’s become a bit more brittle at 38, he’s still as frequently available as other major league superstars.
The Bucks drafted Abdul-Jabbar (then Lou Alcindor) in 1969 and then traded him to the Lakers in 1975.
If he lives up to his average and plays in all upcoming games, it will be his 15th game from now in Los Angeles against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9th. (then Lew Alcindor) in 1969 and then traded to the Lakers in 1975.
There is also a sense of poetic justice as Giannis is the agreed-upon MVP in the league, yet he remains a strong fan of LeBron and constantly shows him respect.
On either side of the Bucks game is a home game with the Oklahoma City Thunder and a road battle with the Golden State Warriors.
The sports books are also betting on how LeBron will break the record, and now that that’s a foregone conclusion, he will, barring a career-ending injury in the next few weeks. According to BetUS, he is equally likely to beat his 38,387-point mark on a layup or dunk (both +250).
LeBron also has a +300 probability of breaking the record with a three-point jump, +400 with a two-point jump shot, and +450 with a free throw. Most notably, he attempts 15.6 two-point field goals, 6.7 three-pointers, and 5.8 free throws per game. He also shoots 60.2% on two throws, compared to 29.5% from beyond the arc and 75.6% on the charity bar.
historical significance
The day LeBron set a scoring record will be one of the most momentous in basketball history. The Lakers star recently spoke about how his impending breakthrough crept up on him.
A goalscoring record never crossed my mind.”
“It wasn’t my goal [break the scoring record] When I got into the league,” LeBron said during an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Scoring just never crossed my mind because I was always the number one pass player.”
On December 14, 2021, Warriors guard Stephen Curry broke Ray Allen’s record for most three-pointers in a career. Allen and then third-place finisher Reggie Miller (now in fourth behind James Harden) attended the game at Madison Square Garden and hugged Curry during a pause in play after he made the pitch.
Last year, another Warriors player, Draymond Green, said that if he had a game to play on the day LeBron was going to break the scoring record, he’d hang out.
LeBron had already surpassed Lakers legend Irvin “Magic” Johnson in career assists earlier this season, which moved him to sixth on the all-time list. Assuming he also continues to perform at his average season, he would finish the year moving into fourth place, behind only John Stockton, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul.
