From the humble beginnings of Springhill projects in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James has become a global icon. The Lakers superstar has racked up a mountain of records during his career, some of which may never be broken.
Post-season minutes
James, now 35 and playing in his 17th NBA season, was something of an iron man in the playoffs. In fact, at 10,049, LeBron holds the all-time record for playoff minutes. For reference, Spurs legend Tim Duncan (9,370) is second, while the great Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (8,851) is third.
Points after the season
James has always been known as a great facilitator in the field. However, he also has the option of taking on other equipment and dominating with his own score, especially in the playoffs.
Remarkably, LeBron James scored 6,911 points in the playoffs. That’s about 1,000 more than second place for Michael Jordan, who has racked up 5,987 playoff points in his illustrious career. Kareem is ranked 3rd with 5,762.
It should also be noted that James played 13 consecutive consecutive games, including eight consecutive trips to the finals from 2011 to 2018. During this period, he won championships with the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On average a triple-double in the final
In the 2016-17 season, James led the Cavs to another final appearance. Although Cleveland was defeated by the Golden State Warriors, 4-1 LeBron (33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists) became the first and only player in NBA history to triple -double on average in the final.
To his credit, James (10) holds the record for the highest number of triple doubles in the final. Magic Johnson is currently second with eight.
Oh, and speaking of the Cavs, James holds almost all of the team’s franchise records, including those for points scored, assists, rebounds, free throws, 3-point field goals and minutes performed (just to name a few).
911 consecutive games with at least three field goals
No, not the police… It’s the number of consecutive games in which James has scored at least three field goals.
Jordan, the most prolific scorer the NBA has ever known, has recorded 893 consecutive games with three or more field goals, while former Lakers great player Shaquille O’Neal has made 594 of those trips.
25 ppg in 15 consecutive seasons
Although it is a pass-first type, “The Akron Hammer”, as LeBron James is known, can score with the best of them. In fact, he is the only player in NBA history to average more than 25 points for 15 consecutive seasons.
Aside from his rookie campaign with the Cavs, which was still impressive with 20.9 points per game, James has averaged 25 points or more in each season. Even the great Wilt Chamberlain has only had eight consecutive seasons (nine in total) with more than 25 points per game. By the way, Wilt has averaged over 50 points in a season.
These are all impressive records. However, they also testify to James’ devotion to hard work and preparation. With more gas remaining in his proverbial tank, it looks like he has a chance to add to these high marks in the future.
If James can maintain this level of play, he will have a real chance of becoming the all-time leader of the NBA. Kareem currently holds this title, but The King is getting closer.
