What seemed impossible years ago is now a reality.LeBron James has finally broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record and is now the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer, adding more arguments to his GOAT résumé.
James’ milestone has been a testament to his consistency and longevity, and while he might not be considered a ‘pure scorer’ or the best scorer of all time, numbers don’t lie, and the stats back him up.
James’ record might never be topped, not because there aren’t elite scorers in the league, but because they may not play long enough to do it. Considering that,we’ll discuss whether an active player has a chance to catch him at the top.
NBA: The Only Players Who Could Break LeBron’s Scoring Record
15. Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton — Getty Images
While he’s been mostly known for his playmaking this season, Tyrese Haliburton has also shown some elite bucket-making skills. He can score from all three levels, and he’ll be a primary scoring option for years to come.
The Indiana Pacers’young star has improved his scoring averages with an expanded role, averaging 20.2 points on 48% from the floor in just his third season in the league. Of course, the chances of him passing James go down if he turns out to be apass-first PG.
14. Scottie Barnes
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Former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes has turned a lot of heads in his brief tenure in the league. He’s been mostly praised for his NBA-ready defense, playmaking, and versatility, but he can also score like the best of them.
Barnes has only shown glimpses of his efficient scoring ability, averaging roughly 15.7 points per game. However, those numbers will only go up once the Toronto Raptors trade their stars and he’s handed the keys to the offense.
13. Zach LaVine
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Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has gone to great lengths to prove that he’s more than just an athlete. He has also become an elite shooter, and he’s the kind of guy who won’t hesitate to take as many shots as needed to win.
LaVine has been around the league for some time now, and he’s had a major injury already. But he entered the NBA at just 19 years old, and has averaged 20.1 points per his career, including a season in which he averaged a whopping 27.4 points.
12. Ja Morant
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Ja Morant is a leader and a floor general, and as such, he’ll always look to make the right play and get his teammates involved. But make no mistake, he also loves to take the rock to the rim, and he can put up huge numbers if need be.
The Memphis Grizzlies will be contenders for years to come, but they will also be Ja Morant’s team until further notice. While not considered a pure scorer, he does average 22.3 points per his career, and 27.4 points per game this season.
11. Devin Booker
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It took him a while, but Devin Booker finally got the praise and recognition he deserved as one of the league’s most efficient scorers. He didn’t get all that attention because the Phoenix Suns weren’t all that good.
Booker turned heads with a 70-point performance in just his second year in the league, and he could actually join the exclusive 50/40/90 club at some point in his career. Thus far, he’s averaged 23.7 points per game, including 27.1 this season.
10. Nikola Jokic
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It’s crazy to think that people don’t consider Nikola Jokic to be a scorer, yet he’s improved his scoring average in all but two seasons in his career. In fact, he’s averaged at least 25 points per game in each of the past three years.
The Denver Nuggets will be wise to keep him there for the remainder of his career. He’s a simple guy, so he might never leave, and he does average 20.1 points per his career. But will he want to play long enough to break James’ record? That seems unlikely.
9. Jalen Green
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While not exactly efficient, Jalen Green has shown glimpses of the potential to be a generational scorer. He’s not afraid to take all the shots, regardless of who’s guarding him or the scoreboard.
Green can shake off his defender with hisathleticism; he’s got a quick triggerand a nice shooting motion. He’s averaging 21.7 points per game in just his second season, and that number will only trend up as the Houston Rockets get better.
8. Trae Young
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Trae Young’s attitude has granted him some criticism, and chances are that he’ll never stop being a defensive liability. But this young man is box-officeand one of the coldest scorers this game has ever seen.
He’s got unlimited range as a shooter and averaged nearly 30 points per game in just his second year. The Atlanta Hawks have been a free-throw machine since he joined them, as he’s got all the tricks to fool the refs and defenders. Thus far, he’s averaged 25.5 points.
7. Donovan Mitchell
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Donovan Mitchell flew under the radar in college, and he continues to be somewhat undervalued or underrated around the league. But he’s always been, and will likely always be, a walking bucket.
Mitchell often takes his game up a notch in the playoffs, and his relentless competitive nature makes us think he’ll be in the league for years to come. Throughout his career, he’s averaged 24.3 points, and he’s scoring 27.6 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
6. Paolo Banchero
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Some questioned the Orlando Magic’s decision to take Paolo Banchero with the first-overall pick, but it didn’t take long before he proved it was the right choice. He looks like an All-Star caliber player already.
Banchero is an elite playmaker and a physical specimen who can take any defender all the way to the rim. He’s also an elite shooter from all three levels, and is averaging 20.5 points per game in his first year in the league. He’ll be a problem.
5. Anthony Edwards
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The Minnesota Timberwolves don’t get that much love because of their well-documented struggles, so people seem to ignore Anthony Edwards. But he’s only getting better in every aspect of the game.
Edwards has been the lone bright spot in Minnesota recently. He’s made great strides as a defender, and is virtually unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor. He’s averaging 24.9 points per game to bump his career average to 21.6 points,and he’s just 21 years old.
4. Kevin Durant
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Kevin Durant is the third-leading scorer among active players, trailing LeBron and Carmelo Anthony. He’s perhaps the greatest pure scorer this game has ever seen, so he should be no. 1 on the list of people who could take James down.
However, the Brooklyn Nets star isn’t getting any younger, and he’s dealt with various injuries over the past couple of years. He’s currently 12,000 points behind James, so with his career average of 27.3 points, he’d still need to play for another five seasons to catch up with him.
3. Jayson Tatum
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Even though it seems like Jayson Tatum has been in the league for ages, he’s still quite young, so there’s a big chance he could play long enough to catch up with LeBron, especially if he stays as healthy as he’s been for most of his career.
Tatum is one of the most efficient volume scorers in the league, and one that will be a primary scorer for at least another decade. Thus far, the Boston Celtics superstar has averaged 22.1 points per his career, but he’s averaging 31.1 points now.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
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Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t even turned 30 and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer already. He currently ranks 13th among active players in total points scored, even ahead of some that have been in the league for longer.
Giannis is an ironman, meaning he rarely misses games. He’ll be the Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise player for at least the next 10 years, and his scoring numbers have gone up every season. He’s averaging 31.8 points this season, and 22.4 points per his career.
1. Luka Doncic
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Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has only been in the league for nearly five seasons, yet he’s already one of the most unstoppable scorers this game has ever seen. Right now, he’s the one with the biggest chance to take down LeBron James as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Doncic’s scoring averages continue to go up, and he’s shooting over 50% from the floor as a perimeter player, just like LeBron. He’s currently averaging 33.4 points per the season and 27.4 points per his career, so he’d need to keep that pace for the next 13 years to break James’ record.
