Magic Johnson in awe of LeBron James as he nears Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record: "I never thought I’d see another NBA player score 38,000 points"
LeBron James has become the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points. The LA Lakers forward reached another impressive milestone with a 35-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.
Magic Johnson, who won five championships with the Lakers, congratulated LeBron on his historic achievement.
"Congratulations to LeBron James for becoming the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 total career points!" Johnson tweeted. "I never thought I’d see another NBA player score 38,000 points in my lifetime."
During his 13-year NBA career, Johnson was one of the league's most gifted superstars. He finished his career with 17,707 career points and understands how difficult it is to do what James has done.
Magic Johnson couldn't believe LeBron James had reached impressive achievement
With five championship rings, three MVP awards, and 12 All-Star appearances, Magic Johnson is one of the most decorated players in the history of the NBA. Johnson has also had several duels with Michael Jordan, considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
Despite his greatness, Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points, good enough for the fifth spot on the all-time scoring list. On the other hand, LeBron James has a chance to become the top scorer in the league's history.
Congratulations to LeBron James for becoming the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 total career points!! I never thought I’d see another NBA player score 38,000 points in my lifetime 🤯
As of January 16, the LA Lakers forward has 38,024 career points. He only needs 364 more points to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the scoring list. This achievement is even more impressive because James isn't a pure scorer.
You may be interested in reading: LeBron James "more likely than not to finish career as a Laker," says NBA analyst David Aldridge
Despite being 38, James has shown no signs of slowing down. Furthermore, he has a few more years left on his contract with the Lakers, meaning he will likely play for a few more years.
By staying in the league until the end of his contract, the four-time MVP could become the only player in the history of the NBA to have 40,000 career points.
When could LeBron James surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
The Lakers have nine more games left to play in January 2023. Their next game is on Monday night against the Houston Rockets, as they will start a three-game homestand.
LeBron will also have seven more games in February, giving him 16 games to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record by the All-Star break.
If LeBron appears in every game, he'd only need to average 22.75 points per game to break the record. However, he will most likely sit out a couple of games.
You may be interested in reading: Reports: LeBron James might request trade from LA Lakers if it was plausible, says NBA insider
James is averaging 29.2 points in the 2022-23 season, so he will most likely break the all-time scoring record in early February. Even if he misses a couple of games, he will almost certainly break the record by the All-Star break.