(CNN Philippines) — The GOAT debate was reignited after LeBron James broke the all-time scoring record in the NBA.
James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points during the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday (Philippine time) at the Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron is on track to exceed the 40,000-point mark next season while he’s still under contract for one more season after that. And while there’s no guarantee that he will continue playing in the foreseeable future, he has said a couple of times that he would like to stay in the NBA until his son Bronny joins the league, something that won’t happen until the 2024-25 season at the earliest.
The closest active layer to James on the all-time list is Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant who has 26,684 points. Next are Philadelphia 76ers’ James Harden and Lakers’ Russell Westbrook who have over 24,000 points each.
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, at 23 years old, is averaging 27.4 points in his NBA career. As incredible he is as a player, he’ll need to average that many points in the next 14 regular seasons or so before he reaches the 38,000-point mark.
It’s safe to say LeBron’s record won’t be broken for a very long time.
To the uninitiated, ‘GOAT’ stands for Greatest Of All Time. The discussion on who is the best hooper to ever live is subjective, especially when two players from different eras are compared.
LeBron has been in the GOAT discussion, solely based on his longevity and accomplishments. Abdul-Jabbar is also in the conversation as his sky hook – a one-handed shot released high over his head and the opponents – is probably the most unstoppable offensive weapon in basketball history.
There are, however, several other worthy players in the GOAT debate.
Celtics’ pillar Bill Russell won 11 championships – the most for any player in history.
Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points in a game and once averaged 50 points in a season.
The Lakers’ Magic Johnson and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics had a rivalry that revived the NBA which was struggling in the 1980s.
Michael Jordan won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in six trips on his way to becoming a global and cultural icon.
Kobe Bryant had an 81-point game to go with five championships, and inspired an entire generation.
Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry is the most prolific three-point shooter the game has ever seen, and will set all the existing records from beyond the arc.
All these legends are worthy to be called the greatest for achieving remarkable feats.
So the answer to the GOAT debate will always depend on one’s preference.
