“There’s two things that LeBron cares about deeply: One is winning championships, number two is history” - Brian Windhorst on LeBron not shutting down this season as he chases Kareem’s record

Enter caption Enter caption Enter caption Enter caption Enter caption Dallas Mavericks vs. LA Lakers; LeBron James driving against Luka Doncic

LeBron James’ future in the league was discussed by Matt Barnes and Brian Windhorst. Barnes said he believes the Lakers have the playoff veterans needed to make waves this year. Windhorst offered the opposing view, saying that even if the Lakers do not win this year, James will remain in the league.

LeBron staying in the league after this season, continues to chase Kareem's record

On ESPN's YouTube channel, Windhorst said:

“There’s two things that LeBron cares about deeply: One is winning championships, number two is history”

James became the NBA’s youngest player to ever reach 36,000 points on Dec. 28. He is the third player to reach that many points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time scoring leader with 38,387 points, with Karl Malone second with 36,928. James has 36,638 points as he works towards the top spot.

James has played 19 seasons, averaging 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 1,354 regular season games. James has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the LA Lakers, winning championships for each team and four total. He stands as the only player in history to win an NBA championship with three separate teams.

Consistently in the GOAT argument, James’ greatness is often rivaled by the six championships that the legendary Michael Jordan won. As a result, LeBron is very interested in collecting NBA championships.

James is averaging 29.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game this season. The Lakers (37-34) are currently in ninth place in the Western Conference.

If James is able to become the NBA's all-time scoring leader and accumulate as many or more championships than Jordan, the argument for him being the GOAT would shift greatly in his favor. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst stands correct in his assumption that James is probably not going anywhere until either one of these feats are touched.

At the All-Star Game, James said he wants to play with his son, Bronny. His son is a junior in high school. Bronny will need to complete one more season in high school and then another year before he can be eligible to play in the NBA. For James to play with his son, he will need to be in the league for three more seasons.

James turned 37 in December. Only one player in NBA history, Vince Carter, has played 22 seasons.

seasons.