Bill Simmons believes Luka Doncic will surpass LeBron James in points tally: "Don’t wrap it up after you get to 38,000"
LeBron James is on an inevitable march to claim the all-time scoring record from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His incredible durability has left some wondering if someone can take that coveted record from him once he retires.
Bill Simmons, on his podcast, had this to say on who might challenge “King James” for the scoring crown once all is said and done:
“He’s [Doncic] over 8,000 points now. He’s 23 years old. By the end of this season, he’ll be pretty close to 10,000 assuming he doesn’t get hurt. LeBron, after five years, was 10,689.
He had had two first-team All-NBAs, two second-teams. Luka already has three first-team All-NBAs. Man, LeBron better keep playing. Don’t wrap it up after you get to 38,000 'cause I don’t know what Luka is capable of.”
HISTORIC 🤯
Luka Doncic becomes the first player EVER to have a 60-20-10 game 👏 https://t.co/bObpP1THNL
Luka Doncic, after dropping 60 points against the New York Knicks the other night, now has 8,038 points. He has scored 1,076 points in 32 games this season. Doncic had 1,830 and 1,847 in his last two campaigns.
If he stays healthy, he will obliterate any of those numbers. He should be closer to 10,000 points when the season ends.
Surpassing LeBron James’ career points haul will be easier said than done, however. He is still averaging 27.8 points, the 19th straight year he’s had more than 25.0 PPG. Additionally, he’s a freak of nature who is obsessed with taking care of his body.
Here’s Simmons on what could prevent Luka Doncic from claiming James’ soon-to-be scoring title:
“I think the difference for him [Doncic] potentially versus LeBron is how is he gonna take care of his body. LeBron took care of his body always, always. … His durability and his strength has been one of his calling cards. … I don’t know about Luka.
"After the incredible game, he joked about he was gonna get a recovery beer. At some point, he’s gonna have to give up all that stuff and any bad food. … He might not be wired that way and that might be what made LeBron slightly different than almost anybody else.
Dirk, asked about @KingJames:
"I always say Michael Jordan is the GOAT. If [LeBron] really surpasses @kaj33 in the scoring record I'm sort of running out of arguments for Michael... being called King at 15 and how he turned out... he's a very, very special athlete." https://t.co/vTuEGPKd1K
“Luka Legend” will have to keep up this pace for at least another 15 years to chase down LeBron James. It’s not an easy thing to do and it’s only going to get harder as he ages.
Here's the full Bill Simmons podcast
Luka Doncic is LeBron James’ favorite player
Back in May, LeBron James had an eye-opening Twitter Q&A with fans. Inevitably, he was asked by one fan regarding his favorite under 25 player.
The four-time MVP’s excitedly replied:
“LUKA. He’s my fav player!!”
@GeffroiRecabar LUKA. He's my fav player!!
That’s as high a praise as Luka Doncic can get from someone. Coming from LeBron James, that has to mean a lot to Doncic. The two recently faced off, much to the excitement of the Dallas Mavericks point guard.
The LA Lakers superstar explained via “The Uninterrupted” what makes the Slovenian international truly special:
“His size. I mean he’s gigantic. A 6-8 point guard. He’s 225 pounds. He has the ball on a string. And more importantly, his vision. That’s why I love him.”
“He can control a game. He doesn’t even have to shoot. He’ll walk the ball up the court ten straight times and get to his spot every single time, just because of his pace. He knows when he comes off a pick and roll if they’re hard showing or if they hedging or if they dropping the pick and roll.
"He knows I can turn the corner because I got this shoulder, and I know the third line of defense, when I get there, if I just slow down and use my pivots, not even jump, just the Euro one-two, this guy’s flying by every time. It’s the mind.”