LeBron James is at a point in his 21-year NBA career when, in every game, he’s still breaking records. The Lakers star is defying father time and playing at a high level for a 39-year-old player. After becoming the first player with 39,000 career points in the NBA, Kings James is approaching a new milestone. LeBron is 469 points short of reaching 40,000 career points.
The math indicates that James averages 24.7 points per game this season, and if he stays healthy and load management does not kick into overdrive, the four-time NBA champion will hit 40,000 points at the end of February. Bookie apps offer prop bets on the date LeBron will score his 40,000th point.
One of the three games in the last week of February will likely be the record-breaking game if LeBron stays the course. The matchup against the Golden State Warriors on February 22 offers +550 odds, but if James hits the milestone a day later on February 23 against the San Antonio Spurs, the odds are +490. According to analysts, the Phoenix Suns showdown on February 25 is the most likely date, with +500 odds on a prop bet for James to set a new record.
The Centerpiece of the Lakers' Offense
Despite the impressive stats for a 39-year-old player, bookie apps have a low opinion of LeBron's chance to be the regular season MVP. The available odds for a futures bet are +10000 on James to win the MVP, the 13th best odds. The Lakers receive +2200 odds to win the Larry O'Brien trophy, and making a bet on the team from Los Angeles is more favorable with the BetMGM sports promo code.
James currently averages 24.7 points a game, his lowest season average after his rookie season. However, he is shooting with 52.1% field goal efficiency, and the 7.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game are still within his career average and are one reason why James is still the centerpiece of the Lakers offense.
Last season, James became the league's all-time scorer after hitting his 38,388th career point against the Thunder in February 2023, dethroning Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. King James holds another record, being the only player in NBA history to score 8,000 career playoff points. For comparison, Michael Jordan is second on the list with 5,987 points.
Other Records Await on the Horizon
Considering LeBron's longevity in the league, James is in a position to break some other records. He is currently 2nd in league history for minutes played and 4th for assists. Interestingly, James ranks 8th for games played despite the 21-year NBA career. The reason for not being dominant in this category is load management. LeBron needs 156 games to overtake Robert Parish, the NBA leader for career games played.
A recent NBA study revealed that load management strategies do not reduce the risk of injury. The 10-year study shows that star players are missing more games per season, with 10.6% in the 1990s and 23.9% in the 2020s. If James reduces load management, he can potentially become a league leader in games played after two more seasons.
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