By Adiel Kalonji | NBA Editor
Given his longevity, we noticed that age was not a barrier for LeBron James. Still in his momentum, the Lakers superstar has just climbed one place in a new ranking, surpassing a legend after opening the club of 40,000 career points.
While almost everyone thought the record was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar untouchable with his 38,387 career points, LeBron James had achieved the impossible by beating him last year. And given that the latter does not yet seem ready to retire from the NBA floors, we must expect that the King will set the bar much higher for whoever tries to dethrone him in the future.
Recently, it was the milestone of 40,000 points that the star winger of the Lakers crossed. The longevity and consistency of the four-time MVP is such that it is not uncommon to see him in the top 10 of different rankings. For his 21st season in the league, the Chosen One has just overtaken another Hall of Famer in the person of Karl Malone while his Lakers lost to the Kings at home:
Soon a new record for LeBron?
Tonight, LeBron James surpasses Karl Malone for 6th place in the all-time list for games played in the NBA ????
1,477 games in 21 seasons is mindblowing ???? pic.twitter.com/laXyc0xkc0
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 7, 2024
Tonight, LeBron James overtook Karl Malone to take 6th place all-time among players who played the most games in the NBA. ???? 1,477 meetings in 21 seasons is breathtaking. ????
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Karl Malone is one of the players who has spent the most years in the league. In total, the legendary interior played 18 seasons at the Jazz and one last at the Lakers. The feat he achieved is all the more impressive given that during his long stint in Utah, he never missed more than 2 games per season. On the other hand, it was in LA that he suffered numerous injuries, causing him to miss 39 matches.
Like the latter, LeBron James has often been spared significant health concerns throughout his career. But it is also since he arrived in California that he has experienced more medical problems. Could there be a curse linked to the LA franchise jersey? The more superstitious will perhaps acquiesce, but the fact remains that its longevity commands admiration.
LBJ, on the other hand, had more of an opportunity to save his strength compared to the double MVP in this era of load management. After beating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record, the former Cavs could try to dislodge Robert Parish from his first place of players having played the most matches. But for that, he will have to extend his career by at least two more years.
LeBron James has just overtaken Karl Malone to take 6th place among the most capped players in history. And given that he doesn’t seem to be slowing down, it wouldn’t be surprising if the 39-year-old superstar continued his adventure for another two years to become the all-time leader of this ranking.
2024-03-07 22:43:47
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