LeBron James continues to defy Father Time, as he’s still playing at high-level basketball despite being 38. Fresh off his fifth season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he accomplished another feat.
According to NBAcrazystats, LeBron James (27.38 points per game) is now the leader in scoring average in Lakers history Elgin Baylor comes in second place with an average of 27.36 ppg, while Shaquille O’Neal is third with 27.0.
The late Kobe Bryant is in fifth place with 25.0 ppg. During the 2005-06 season, he had his highest scoring average in a season with 35.4 ppg (45.0% shooting, including 34.7% from the 3-point range).
However, his final seasons with the franchise saw a huge decrease in production and efficiency due to age and injuries. In his final season with the Lakers, Bryant averaged 17.6 ppg (35.8% shooting, including 28.5% fro them 3-point range).
Meanwhile, Magic Johnson is in eighth place with 25.0 ppg. Johnson had his highest scoring average during the 1986-87 season with 23.9 ppg (52.2% shooting, including 20.5% from the 3-point range). Johnson was never recognized as a scorer, as he was more of a facilitator at point guard than an offensive-minded one.
Meanwhile, after only five seasons with the Lakers, LeBron James has surpassed numerous Lakers legends in scoring average. James arrived in an era that favored low-post and mid-range productions. However, the league soon transitioned to favoring 3-point shooting over two-pointers, resulting in floor spacing being a necessity.
Because of LeBron James’ versatile skillset, he has adapted well to the modern NBA to become the Lakers leader in points per game average.
When LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA scoring record
During the 2022-23 season, James made history when he surpassed the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time scoring leader.
On Feb. 8, 2023, James converted a mid-range jumper to reach 36 points in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those were enough to reach 38,888 to eclipse Abdul-Jabbar’s record.
“To be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me,” James said. “To everybody who’s been a part of this run with me for the last 20 years, I just want to say thank you so much.”
Only time will tell what other records will LeBron James break before it’s all said and done.