All-Time Scoring Record About to Fall

[Celtics4ever]

His scoring totals were heavily subsidized with FTAs.  5th all time to get him there.   He is still a great player folks.

ind of sad he is doing this in largely irrelevant games for the second year in a row. Feels a lot more Carmelo Anthony than Michael jordan earlier. Obviously James was best players on a ton of incredible teams but two years unable to make playin? That would be rough.

No it is not, he deserves this as I see it.    Teamstacker who moves to stack a team, makes them make moves to make him happy and then he leaves the team in a bad way.       James is Wilt Chamberlain 2.0 as a PF,   Giddy  freakish numbers, but few rings to show for it.  An amazing talented player though just like Wilt, though Wilt was even more freakish in terms of numbers.

[Moranis]

His scoring totals were heavily subsidized with FTAs.  5th all time to get him there.   He is still a great player folks.

Does drawing fouls not count as basketball?  And as you say he is 5th all time behind both Malones, Wilt, and Shaq.  He has scored more points than those 4 guys.  Kareem is 8th all time (though about 1500 FTA's behind James).  Kobe is 6th, Dwight is 7th (that surprised me), Oscar is 9th, and West is 10th.  The next 5 are Gilmore (includes his ABA time as well), Jordan, Barkley, Pierce, and Duncan (Dantley is next and he is 15th in NBA only if you take Gilmore's ABA time out - Moses goes from 2nd to 4th if you don't include ABA).  Aside from Gilmore, Pierce and Dwight, those guys are all the best of the best (and those 3 are all obviously HOFers, just not quite the same level as the others). 

What sets James apart from other wings is his 2 point FG%.  For his career, James is 55.4% from 2.  That is only slightly behind Kareem's 56%. Jordan "only" shot 51% from 2 (same as Dr. J - including his ABA time as well as NBA).  Kobe was 47.9% from 2 (Carmelo is 47.2%, Dominique 47.8%).  Even Durant who is now up to 18th (on combined list or 15th in just NBA), has only shot 53.9% from 2. 

In fact of the top 20 scorers in NBA history, only Shaq and Kareem shot better from 2 point range than Lebron (Gilmore did as well, but you have to include the ABA number for him to be in the top 20).  Lebron overall is currently 32nd all time in 2 point percentage.  The only HOFers better than him are those 3, Dwight and Giannis (obviously they will be HOFers when they retire), Barkley, and McHale.  Some other notable names ahead of him are Gobert, Towns, and Bam, but it is too early to call them HOFers.  The rest of the list are almost exclusively big man role players like Harrell, Capela, Adams. 

James doesn't get near enough credit for his efficiency among the trees.  It is hard to go down low like that time and time again and just keep getting hit and still hit shots at that percentage.  James should be praised for getting to the line, not downgraded for doing so. 

[celticsclay]

I really wonder if other forums have regular posters that absolutely worship a specific player not on their team. I’m genuinely asking I have spent a decent amount of time on the lakers, 76ers, nets and Cavs forums over the year and I have never seen anything else like it. Has anyone else ever seen it?

[GreenlyGreeny]

I really wonder if other forums have regular posters that absolutely worship a specific player not on their team. I’m genuinely asking I have spent a decent amount of time on the lakers, 76ers, nets and Cavs forums over the year and I have never seen anything else like it. Has anyone else ever seen it?

I’ve not. I worship Kawhi because I think he’s got the best BBIQ of anybody since MJ, and contributes more to winning than anybody since prime Shaq. That said, if Kawhi had beaten us in the playoffs multiple times like LeBron, I’d despise the guy. It’s admiration from afar because he’s never really hurt the Celtics before. I felt similarly about Curry until the Finals last year. I really do not understand the admiration for LeBron by some on here…

[Kernewek]

Records were made to be broken.

This about sums up how I feel about it. James is a generational talent, and it's been quite interesting to watch his career unfold.

[Moranis]

At his current scoring average, James is 8 games away from passing Kareem (he needs 224 points to pass him and is averaging 29.8 ppg).  The Lakers' 8th game is at home against the Thunder and the 9th is home against the Bucks.  They have a 5 game road trip leading into those 2 and are on the road the 2 games after that.  I suspect Lebron would like to break the record at home so I'm guessing he will push pretty hard in 6 of the next 7 and will probably take a night off one of the NY games as they play Boston on Saturday, the Nets on Monday, and the Knicks on Tuesday.  If he is pretty close leading into the Pelicans game on the 4th, I wouldn't be surprised to see him sit out and wait for that Thunder game on the 7th. 

[Vermont Green]

I really do not understand the admiration for LeBron by some on here…

I don't understand this.  LeBron is indisputably one of the greatest players of all time and debatably the best of all time.  He has played at a high level over a long career.  I didn't like The Decision and some of the other things along the way but I am glad I got to watch him on the court.

I feel the same about Magic Johnson.  Magic was even more of a head to head rival than LeBron (although didn't have anything like The Decision).  I admire Magic for his basketball talent also.  Another example from another sport is Derek Jeter.

I personally don't put Kawhi in the same league as LeBron and Magic in terms of talent but that has nothing to do with whether or not Kawhi was a direct rival or not.  He certainly wasn't a rival to the same degree as Magic or LeBron.  Kawhi is a great all time player, no doubt, but at a lower tier than Magic or LeBron in my mind.  And at this point in his career, I think he is spent.  Still good, but not someone who is going to carry a team to the finals.  You just can't expect he is going to hold up physically.

[Hoopvortex]

I really do not understand the admiration for LeBron by some on here…

LeBron is indisputably one of the greatest players of all time and debatably the best of all time.  He has played at a high level over a long career.  I didn't like The Decision and some of the other things along the way but I am glad I got to watch him on the court.

I agree.

I think that we are fortunate to have watched him play basketball. I'm a Celtics fan, but that does not mean that I hate other teams - and certainly not other players.

I cheer on the NBA, where the best sport in the world is played by the best athletes in the world.

I cheer on the small-market teams, and the teams whose fans have had years and even generations of disappointments. It's good for the league when Sacramento wakens from a generational slumber, when little Memphis rises to the top. I cheer on the great players of the NBA who perform miracles nightly. I have no difficulty in reconciling those things with being a Celtics fan.

Kareem retired in 1989. This record has stood longer than a generation. We are indeed fortunate to witness it being broken.

[Moranis]

Do you think if Malone didn't get hurt for the Lakers in 04, he would have played longer and potentially passed Kareem?  That last year he only managed 42 games and scored just 554 points (13.2 ppg).  If he had played more like 75 games and added another 436 (at the same 13.2 ppg average) that would have given him 37364 and put him 1023 behind Kareem.  In other words within striking distance if he had 1 more healthy season in him.  Is the fact that he got hurt and only played half the season, the reason he walked away after that disaster of a season in 04?  I tend to think if he was healthy he would have played longer (he wouldn't have felt physically as bad and he would have been much closer to Kareem), he might not have gotten to Kareem anyway, but I do think it would have been a feather he would have wanted especially since he never managed the title. 

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Lebron is a model citizen and from where I sit, seems like a great guy. He has been a worthy adversary for the Celtics, and I will applaud his great career when he breaks this record.

Love>>>Hate

[Vermont Green]

Do you think if Malone didn't get hurt for the Lakers in 04, he would have played longer and potentially passed Kareem?  That last year he only managed 42 games and scored just 554 points (13.2 ppg).  If he had played more like 75 games and added another 436 (at the same 13.2 ppg average) that would have given him 37364 and put him 1023 behind Kareem.  In other words within striking distance if he had 1 more healthy season in him.  Is the fact that he got hurt and only played half the season, the reason he walked away after that disaster of a season in 04?  I tend to think if he was healthy he would have played longer (he wouldn't have felt physically as bad and he would have been much closer to Kareem), he might not have gotten to Kareem anyway, but I do think it would have been a feather he would have wanted especially since he never managed the title.

Not sure what you are getting at.  Durability and longevity are critical elements for a player in trying to break records like all time scoring.  I think Karl Malone absolutely would have kept playing if he felt he could.  What player wouldn't.  And certainly if you are within reach of important records.

LeBron is still one of the best players in the game though.  He does not have to justify in any way that he is choosing to continue playing.  If he was scoring 13 pts a game like Malone did in his last season, maybe he wouldn't keep playing.  Or it would be a stronger argument that he is stat/record chasing.

[Moranis]

Do you think if Malone didn't get hurt for the Lakers in 04, he would have played longer and potentially passed Kareem?  That last year he only managed 42 games and scored just 554 points (13.2 ppg).  If he had played more like 75 games and added another 436 (at the same 13.2 ppg average) that would have given him 37364 and put him 1023 behind Kareem.  In other words within striking distance if he had 1 more healthy season in him.  Is the fact that he got hurt and only played half the season, the reason he walked away after that disaster of a season in 04?  I tend to think if he was healthy he would have played longer (he wouldn't have felt physically as bad and he would have been much closer to Kareem), he might not have gotten to Kareem anyway, but I do think it would have been a feather he would have wanted especially since he never managed the title.

Not sure what you are getting at.  Durability and longevity are critical elements for a player in trying to break records like all time scoring.  I think Karl Malone absolutely would have kept playing if he felt he could.  What player wouldn't.  And certainly if you are within reach of important records.

LeBron is still one of the best players in the game though.  He does not have to justify in any way that he is choosing to continue playing.  If he was scoring 13 pts a game like Malone did in his last season, maybe he wouldn't keep playing.  Or it would be a stronger argument that he is stat/record chasing.

My question had nothing to do with Lebron.  Malone was 40 and had been hurt.  I suspect the injury played a big factor in him retiring, but maybe not, maybe at 40 and after 19 years he would have been done anyway.  I mean Jordan walked away twice when he was still the best player in the world and the 2nd time he had Wilt within striking distance and Kareem not that far away (he passed Wilt in Washington - Malone had passed him by the time he played for the Wizards and was 2nd and still going).  Jordan though had the titles, MVP's, and the adulation that Malone never got (well he got 2 MVP's, but never adulation or titles). 

[Donoghus]

Do you think if Malone didn't get hurt for the Lakers in 04, he would have played longer and potentially passed Kareem?  That last year he only managed 42 games and scored just 554 points (13.2 ppg).  If he had played more like 75 games and added another 436 (at the same 13.2 ppg average) that would have given him 37364 and put him 1023 behind Kareem.  In other words within striking distance if he had 1 more healthy season in him.  Is the fact that he got hurt and only played half the season, the reason he walked away after that disaster of a season in 04?  I tend to think if he was healthy he would have played longer (he wouldn't have felt physically as bad and he would have been much closer to Kareem), he might not have gotten to Kareem anyway, but I do think it would have been a feather he would have wanted especially since he never managed the title.

Not sure what you are getting at.  Durability and longevity are critical elements for a player in trying to break records like all time scoring.  I think Karl Malone absolutely would have kept playing if he felt he could.  What player wouldn't.  And certainly if you are within reach of important records.

LeBron is still one of the best players in the game though.  He does not have to justify in any way that he is choosing to continue playing.  If he was scoring 13 pts a game like Malone did in his last season, maybe he wouldn't keep playing.  Or it would be a stronger argument that he is stat/record chasing.

My question had nothing to do with Lebron.  Malone was 40 and had been hurt.  I suspect the injury played a big factor in him retiring, but maybe not, maybe at 40 and after 19 years he would have been done anyway.  I mean Jordan walked away twice when he was still the best player in the world and the 2nd time he had Wilt within striking distance and Kareem not that far away (he passed Wilt in Washington - Malone had passed him by the time he played for the Wizards and was 2nd and still going).  Jordan though had the titles, MVP's, and the adulation that Malone never got (well he got 2 MVP's, but never adulation or titles).

Jordan also never knocked up a 13 year old.

[kraidstar]

LeBron is the Barry Bonds of basketball. I'm not a big records guy in general, but in his case it's even less important to me.

I'd rather be cheering for the Celtics on what is hopefully a championship run.

[Moranis]

Do you think if Malone didn't get hurt for the Lakers in 04, he would have played longer and potentially passed Kareem?  That last year he only managed 42 games and scored just 554 points (13.2 ppg).  If he had played more like 75 games and added another 436 (at the same 13.2 ppg average) that would have given him 37364 and put him 1023 behind Kareem.  In other words within striking distance if he had 1 more healthy season in him.  Is the fact that he got hurt and only played half the season, the reason he walked away after that disaster of a season in 04?  I tend to think if he was healthy he would have played longer (he wouldn't have felt physically as bad and he would have been much closer to Kareem), he might not have gotten to Kareem anyway, but I do think it would have been a feather he would have wanted especially since he never managed the title.

Not sure what you are getting at.  Durability and longevity are critical elements for a player in trying to break records like all time scoring.  I think Karl Malone absolutely would have kept playing if he felt he could.  What player wouldn't.  And certainly if you are within reach of important records.

LeBron is still one of the best players in the game though.  He does not have to justify in any way that he is choosing to continue playing.  If he was scoring 13 pts a game like Malone did in his last season, maybe he wouldn't keep playing.  Or it would be a stronger argument that he is stat/record chasing.

My question had nothing to do with Lebron.  Malone was 40 and had been hurt.  I suspect the injury played a big factor in him retiring, but maybe not, maybe at 40 and after 19 years he would have been done anyway.  I mean Jordan walked away twice when he was still the best player in the world and the 2nd time he had Wilt within striking distance and Kareem not that far away (he passed Wilt in Washington - Malone had passed him by the time he played for the Wizards and was 2nd and still going).  Jordan though had the titles, MVP's, and the adulation that Malone never got (well he got 2 MVP's, but never adulation or titles).

Jordan also never knocked up a 13 year old.

I'm fairly certain most people wouldn't know that and it really had very little to do with why Malone never got adulation.