In Year 19, LeBron James continues to add to his Hall of Fame resume.
The self-proclaimed Chosen One has lived up to the seemingly insurmountable hype that was placed on him before he even stepped onto an NBA floor. Nearly two decades later, James has undeniably entered into the once impenetrable conversation of all-time greatest.
James started re-writing the record books as a rookie and has not slowed down.
After passing Karl Malone for second on the NBA's all-time scoring list, James now has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar squarely in his sights. The NBA's all-time scoring record, one many believed would never be broken, is in play and if James can pass Abdul-Jabbar, he may be able to put it out of reach for good.
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The scoring record would just be another addition to a list of records James has set that may never be touched. Here are his five most unbreakable records.
30K-10K-10K
Earlier this season, James became the first player in NBA history to have at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.
To put that into context, consider this.
Only eight players in NBA history have hit the 30k mark in points. Only seven players in league history have hit the 10k mark in assists — and while a number of players have hit the 10k mark in rebounds, before James' career is over, he'll have a chance to hit 15k rebounds, a mark that only seven other players in league history have reached.
If you created a venn diagram of all-time career stat stuffers, James is the constant, sitting in the middle alone.
With James' stat sheet stuff-ability, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he can sit atop the all-time points and top three in assists list in two or three more seasons. And given how well he's playing this year, who's to say he won't be able to play longer than that and at this level.
Double-digit scoring streak
James has scored at least 10 points in over 1,000 straight games and counting, a streak that began over 15 years ago. He hasn't scored in single digits since way back in January 2007 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It's a streak made possible thanks to an almost unimaginable combination of skill, luck and durability.
An unthinkable blend of skill, physical durability, mental focus and yes, luck. No off nights. No tweaked ankles in the first quarter. No quick ejections.
Michael Jordan had the previous record with 866 games and no other active streak is within even 900 of his ongoing tally.
James' current streak is so long now that it has surpassed the amount of regular-season games Michael Jordan played in his entire career. LeBron is putting this one out of reach for good.
Consecutive seasons averaging 25.0 points per game
Remember when they said LeBron James isn't a scorer? In year 19, James is working on his 18th straight season of averaging at least 25.0 points per game in the regular season.
As great as MJ was he didn't play enough years to do what LeBron is doing now. As prolific a scorer as Kareem was he was only able to string together nine straight seasons of 25.0 points or more. Even the dominant Wilt Chamberlain's streak of 25.0 or more stopped at eight seasons.
Could Mike, Kareem, and Wilt have extended their respective streaks if they wanted to? Maybe, but they may not have been able to extend as long as King James has. Think about it, in year 19, James is still getting it done and may even walk away with the scoring title at the age of 37.
Consecutive All-Star Game starts
Kareem and Kobe Bryant set the bar with All-Star appearances. Kareem has the record with 19 and Kobe was the modern-day marvel with 18.
LeBron James has caught Kobe and is set to tie Kareem with his next All-Star nod. Where Bron has them and everyone else beat is consecutive All-Star starts. LeBron appeared and started in his 18th straight All-Star game in 2022.
This season is the perfect snapshot for why it's so hard to pull off. Consider Luka Doncic, who earned an All-Star nod yet wasn't picked a starter. The clock resets on Doncic meaning he would have to play 18 more seasons after this one AND start in all of them to catch James.
It seems like it will be a long time before we see anyone appear in 18-plus All-Star games and we can safely say if they do, they probably won't be starting them all.
Career All-NBA selections
All-Star starters are voted by the fans for the fans. All-NBA is a different story. It tells the story of who the best players in the league are for that season.
Want to know who dominated the 70s? Go back and look at the All-NBA selections from that era. Need to know how truly great a player was, count up how many All-NBA selections they had.
James already has the record for most All-NBA selections with 17 total. He also holds the record for most First-Team All-NBA honors with 13. Even if he never makes another All-NBA team, James has put it safely away where it will take another all-time great who plays for close to 20 years to touch it. Those types of players aren't growing on trees.
