However, this is not the only impressive statistic that stands out in discussions about James’ illustrious career.
As the NBA's all-time leading scorer and a four-time Olympic medalist, James' contributions to the league are evident across various statistical categories. This season, the Los Angeles Lakers forward, who will be playing alongside his son Bronny, is poised to continue his ascent in the record books.
Examining James’ statistics reveals his ongoing evolution in NBA history:
LeBron's Consistency is Unmatched
One of the most intriguing aspects of James’ career is his remarkable consistency. Throughout the majority of his NBA tenure, he has maintained averages of 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per game.
Remarkably, he has never recorded an exact average night.
In his 1,492 regular-season games and 287 playoff appearances, James has never finished a game with precisely 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. He has come close on numerous occasions—77 games featured him scoring exactly 27 points, while 11 games had him at 27 points and seven rebounds, six games at 27 points and seven assists, and 11 games where he was just one rebound and one assist shy of the 27-7-7 mark.
For context, 27-7-7 performances are exceedingly rare, with only 51 recorded in NBA history, excluding four additional playoff games.
Jerry West achieved this feat twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs. Grant Hill, Russell Westbrook, and Jo Jo White each accomplished it twice. Kevin Durant has one in the regular season and another in the postseason.
No other player has surpassed one such game, with Paul George being the sole player to achieve it last season.
Lakers Star Pursuing Kareem Once More
James is once again on the brink of surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in several respects.
James, who became the NBA's all-time leading scorer after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in February 2023, currently ranks sixth in regular season games played with 1,492 appearances.
While he cannot claim the top position this season—held by Robert Parish with 1,611 games—James has the potential to move up to second place if he participates in 68 games, thereby surpassing Abdul-Jabbar's total of 1,560. This would also mean he would overtake Vince Carter (1,541), Dirk Nowitzki (1,522), and John Stockton (1,504) in the process.
In terms of playoff games, James is on track to potentially become the all-time leader by late November. He has played a total of 1,779 games, which is 16 games shy of Parish's 1,795 and 18 behind Abdul-Jabbar's 1,797. Notably, this total does not include his participation in the inaugural NBA Cup championship game, which is not counted in official statistics.
If he remains healthy, James is set to play his record-breaking 1,798th game, including playoffs, on November 29 at home against Oklahoma City.
In regular-season minutes, James ranks second with 56,597, just 849 minutes away from Abdul-Jabbar's record of 57,446. At his current average of approximately 35 minutes per game, he could surpass Abdul-Jabbar around the time of the Lakers' Christmas Day matchup against Golden State.
LeBron's Progress on Other Lists
Here’s a summary of James' standings on additional statistical lists and what he needs to achieve to continue his ascent:
Field Goals: James is currently second, trailing Abdul-Jabbar by exactly 1,000 field goals (15,837 to 14,837) in regular-season play. When including playoffs, he remains second with 17,765, needing 428 to match Abdul-Jabbar's total.
Free Throws: James ranks third with 8,390 in regular-season free throws, just 141 shy of Moses Malone's second-place total of 8,531. The all-time record, held by Karl Malone, stands at 9,787 and may be out of reach unless James extends his career significantly.
Assists: LeBron James ranks fourth in regular-season assists with a total of 11,009. Chris Paul of San Antonio holds the third position with 11,894 assists. Given that Paul is still active in the league, it appears unlikely that James will advance on this list during the current season.
3-pointers: James is currently eighth in three-pointers made, with 2,410, trailing Kyle Korver in seventh place by 40 shots.
Steals: In terms of steals, James is also eighth, having recorded 2,275 in regular-season play. He is 32 steals behind Scottie Pippen, who has 2,307, and 35 behind Maurice Cheeks, who has 2,310.
Life at 40 (and beyond) for LeBron: LeBron James will celebrate his 40th birthday on December 30, which allows him the opportunity to participate in 53 games this season following this milestone.
After reaching this age, James will begin to ascend the charts for players aged 40 and older. His first game post-birthday will be on New Year’s Eve at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of his former teams. He will become the 30th player in NBA history to compete in a game after turning 40. Among the previous 29 players, only 13 have scored over 100 points after reaching this age, and just four—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,941), Robert Parish (1,706), Vince Carter (1,433), and John Stockton (1,088)—have surpassed 1,000 points after turning 40.
James holds the record for the most points scored by a teenager in the NBA (2,362, surpassing Kobe Bryant by 603 points), the most points by a player in their 20s (21,539, 53 points more than Wilt Chamberlain), and ranks third for scoring in his 30s. Since turning 30, he has accumulated 16,573 points, while Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 19,387 and 17,808 points, respectively.