[Saba Sports News] LeBron James has officially joined the 76ers as he continues his pursuit of an NBA championship, set to embark on the 23rd season of his professional career. As James extends his legendary career, numerous records are within his reach. One mark belongs to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a record that has stood for 37 years and was once deemed nearly unbreakable. James trails the benchmark by just 124 points, making it all but certain that he will surpass it next season. At age 40, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 15 points and six rebounds across 80 games and earned an All-Star selection. Even in his final NBA campaign, he posted solid averages of over 10 points and five rebounds. In total, Abdul-Jabbar scored 2,791 points after turning 40, an NBA all-time record. Now, James is closing in fast on this milestone. James turned 40 last season and still delivered stellar all-around numbers: 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. This season, the league’s oldest active player is 41 years old. He has smoothly adapted to his new role, putting up averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest.
That brings LeBron James’ total points scored after turning 40 to 2,668, leaving him just 124 points shy of surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s record. Now that he has joined the 76ers, a roster loaded with talent, James will inevitably see a drop in his individual numbers. Even so, he is expected to remain in the league for at least one or two more seasons, making it a straightforward task to rack up those 124 points. If he hits that mark, he will overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the player with the most points in NBA history after turning 40.