Reports: NBA sets protocols for LeBron James' potential record breaking game
LeBron James needs just 36 points to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer. The LA Lakers star will have an opportunity to break the record on Tuesday night when he faces the Oklahoma City Thunder. The league will reportedly not stop the game if there is less than a minute on the clock and the game is within six points, according to TNT.
"The NBA will NOT stop the game to honor LeBron James’ record breaking basket if the game is under 1 minute and within 6 points OR goes to overtime, per TNT"
The NBA will NOT stop the game to honor LeBron James’ record breaking basket if the game is under 1 minute and within 6 points OR goes to overtime, per TNT https://t.co/eAmSTEGPKh
While the news may be disappointing for some fans, it makes sense from a competitive standpoint, as there will likely be complaints if the outcome of the game is affected due to a stoppage. Fans looking to see James honored will have to hope that he reaches the mark with more than a minute left in the contest, or that the game is out of reach by the time he does.
If James is unable to break the record on Tuesday night, fans likely will not have to worry about the game being stopped to honor the four-time NBA MVP. The moment will likely occur long before the fourth quarter if LeBron has to wait until Thursday night to break the record.
JJ Redick discusses the narrative about LeBron James as a scorer
LeBron James is poised to break the all-time scoring record, however, the narrative remains that he is not an all-time great scorer. Former NBA player JJ Redick attempted to change that narrative while speaking on his podcast, 'The Old Man and the Three', stating:
"We can talk about his longevity, and that's part of the reason he's breaking this record - he's got the fifth highest career scoring average all-time in the NBA... The constant narrative about nitpicking things with LeBron, most of them are just not factual."
Despite being en route to becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer, the narrative about James is likely due to a combination of his passing abilities and how he gets his points. The LA Lakers star is currently fourth all-time in assists, while his style of scoring is not appealing to some fans as he doesn't have a 'signature move'. It is impossible to discredit him as a scorer for these things, however, as he has shown he has the ability to score at will.
Watch JJ Redick discuss the narrative about LeBron James as a scorer below:
All these media narratives around LeBron James … @jj_redick has had it https://t.co/t1HFKy3tGR