LeBron will be scoring king

LeBron James is on track to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history this season, which will top all the fantastic achievements he’s notched up in a stellar career.

Barring injury James will surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the scoring king, a considerable milestone considering he is celebrated for looking to pass to a player in a better scoring opportunity.

When set, Kareem’s record looked impossible to beat but now another Lakers legend looks set to be the league’s all-time greatest scorer.

It is 38 years since Abdul-Jabbar first broke the record, in Las Vegas of all places, at the Thomas & Mack Center, against the Utah Jazz in 1984. Eight months later, the player now positioned to leapfrog him was born. Five years later, when Kareem scored his final points, the seemingly unbeatable record of 38,387 career points was established.

Before Tuesday’s game against Golden State Warriors, James needed 1,325 more points to reach the holy grail. By every reasonable metric, and assuming he stays injury free, LeBron will enjoy the new top spot in January. This is his 20th in the NBA, boasting 37,062 points. If he matches his scoring average with the Lakers (27.0 points), he’ll pass the milestone 49 games into the season.

“It’s a huge thing, I believe,” James said. “I think it’s one of the most sought-after records in sports. And me personally, I’ve never even like set a goal of doing it. It makes zero sense to me. But it’s something that’s bigger, and bigger than people think.”

Towering at 7ft 2in, Kareem flourished as he literally as well as figuratively stood head and shoulders above the opposition. He was moody, suspicious of strangers and reporters, a shy giant who stood out in society for so many reasons.

LeBron turns 38 in December. He is hyped up by cable TV and scrutinised by social media, name-dropped by Drake and willingly gobbles up the global attention, though on his terms. His rare basketball skillset has mesmerised for multiple teams.

When LeBron has broken the record, he’ll probably have 40,000 points in his sights. That will leave a legacy for many generations, just as his predecessor has done. Who knows, the next challenger for the record could be his teenage son, Bronny, who will soon be drafted into the NBA. LeBron has often declared he wants to play in the same team as Bronny so thoughts of retirement are not yet an issue.

There is talk of the threat of players like Luka Doncic or Ja Morant, young compulsive scorers, but perhaps the player destined to dethrone LeBron, as happened in his day with Abdul-Jabbar, has not been born yet.