LeBron's Last Stand? The 2025-26 Season Looms Large
The calendar flips to 2025, and LeBron James is still here. Think about that for a second. We're talking about a guy who entered the league when flip phones were cool and Myspace was a thing. He'll be 40 years old when the 2025-26 season tips off, assuming he picks up his player option, which, let's be honest, he probably will. After averaging 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in the 2023-24 season, he showed he can still produce at an elite level, even if the Lakers' playoff run ended in a gentleman's sweep by the Nuggets.
Here's the thing: longevity like this is unprecedented. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played until he was 42, but his final seasons weren't marked by the kind of all-around production we still see from James. LeBron already blew past Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record in February 2023, and by the end of the 2023-24 season, he had amassed 40,474 points. He’s the only player in NBA history over 40,000 points. That record isn't just safe; it's practically untouchable. The closest active player, Kevin Durant, sits well over 10,000 points behind him.
But points are just one facet of the King's game. As of the end of the 2023-24 season, James also tallied 11,271 rebounds, placing him 21st all-time, just behind Hakeem Olajuwon’s 11,291. He needs only 21 more boards to crack the top 20. Considering he averaged 7.3 rebounds in 2023-24, that’s a lock to happen in the first few games of 2025-26. More impressively, he's dished out 11,271 assists, good for fourth all-time, behind Chris Paul (11,894), Jason Kidd (12,091), and John Stockton (15,806). Catching Stockton is a pipe dream – no one is touching 15,000 assists. But passing Kidd for third? That's a real possibility, requiring 821 assists. He averaged 8.3 assists in 2023-24, playing 71 games. If he plays another 70+ games and maintains that average, he'd be right on the cusp.
**Chasing Ghosts and Setting New Marks**
What other records can he still break? Well, let's look at steals. James finished the 2023-24 season with 2,275 career steals, good for eighth all-time. Scottie Pippen is just ahead at 2,307, and Maurice Cheeks is seventh with 2,310. With his average of 1.2 steals in 2023-24, he'd easily pass both Pippen and Cheeks within the first half of the 2025-26 season. Clyde Drexler at 2,207 and Allen Iverson at 2,274 are already in his rearview mirror. Getting to the top five, though, means catching Gary Payton at 2,445, which would require a monster season of over 170 steals—unlikely for a 40-year-old.
Beyond the raw numbers, there are other milestones. He already holds the record for most All-Star selections with 20. He has the most playoff points, rebounds, and assists. One record that feels ripe for the taking, if he plays enough games, is Karl Malone's record for most seasons played with 19. James will tie this in 2024-25, and then surpass it in 2025-26 for his 22nd season. That's a quiet testament to his longevity, often overlooked amidst the scoring titles and MVP debates.
Real talk: I think the 2025-26 season will be his last. He’s got nothing left to prove. He’s already the undisputed GOAT in my book, and I think he'll decide to ride off into the sunset after a final year playing alongside Bronny. It just feels right.
BOLD PREDICTION: LeBron James will finish the 2025-26 season with over 42,000 points, ranking first all-time, and pass Jason Kidd for third all-time in assists.