LeBron James has rewritten the history book during the course of his amazing basketball career. He is entering his 22nd season in the NBA and has an opportunity to reach new milestones. For the second year in a row, LeBron James is the oldest player in the NBA.
With four championship rings, MVPs, and Final MVPs, he has little to prove. LeBron is the all-time leader in points scored, both in regular season and playoff games, and he has a case as the greatest player of all-time. Yet, there are a few records that might elude him. Let’s take a look at some of the longevity records LeBron can break this year and those he might never catch.
3 NBA Records LeBron James Can Still Break and 1 That He Can’t
James will be 39 years old at the start of the 2024-25 season and will turn 40 during the season; his birthday is on December 30. The native of Akron, Ohio, entered the league only six months after his 18th birthday, which allowed him to have an incredibly long career in the league. Let’s take a look at the longevity records that he can catch.
Minutes Played
LeBron has played 56,697 minutes in the NBA, which is the equivalent of 39.37 days of non-stop hooping. That is an astonishing number, but he is still not the No.1 ranked player in that regard. He is still 849 minutes behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yet, if he averages close to 30 minutes per game, he can catch Kareem by Game 30 of the new season.
Games Played
Despite his long career, James is still not in the top five of games played in the league. With 1,492 games under his belt, he sits in sixth place. He has a lot of catching up to do, considering Robert Parish sits at the top with 1,611 games. If James plays for two more seasons and appears in most games and some playoff games, he might break that record during the 2025-26 campaign. Of course, all that falls if he misses an extended period due to injuries.
Win Shares
James is second on the list with 263.67 win shares. He sits behind Kareem, who has 273.41. For the last six seasons, LeBron has averaged 7.38 win shares, meaning he can catch Kareem by the 2025-26 season.
Field Goals
LeBron has played a huge part of his career during the three-point era. That means he needed fewer field goals to become the highest scorer in the league. So far, he has made 14,837 shots. Yet, he is still behind Kareem by more than 1,000 field goals. This might be the toughest record for James to break, as he needs good health and great shot-making. For the past six seasons, LeBron has averaged 592 made field goals, meaning he can catch Kareem after two years.
LeBron James Will Not Be the Oldest Active Player
King James has a chance to break almost all longevity and all-time leader records in the league. Yet, there is one record he might never break. That is the oldest player to appear in an NBA game. He might be the oldest MVP to appear in a game, which is another record Kareem holds at 42 years old. Here are the oldest players to appear in an official game.
- Nat Hickey, 45 years, 363 days
- Kevin Willis, 44 years, 224 days
- Robert Parish, 43 years, 232 days
- Vince Carter, 43 years, 45 days
- Udonis Haslem, 42 years, 304 days
For context, Nat Hickey was the coach of the Providence Steamrollers. The team competed in the Basketball Association of America, and Hickey decided to activate himself as a player to help the team stop the losing streak. He played in two games and scored a total of two points and recorded five fouls.
How Long Will LeBron Play?
LeBron James has two more years left on his contract. Whether he will sign another contract after that is up in the air. It’s been rumored that LeBron will look to own the Las Vegas expansion team after his contract is up. A decade ago, it seemed impossible to have King James team up with his son Bronny James. Now, they are making history as the first active father-son duo in the league and are even on the same team.
