How close is LeBron James to passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA scoring record?

Tuesday update: James hit a fadeaway jumper near the end of the third quarter to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

Saturday update: James is now 36 points away from the scoring record. He will likely set it next week at home on either Tuesday or Thursday.

Friday update: James is now 63 points away from the scoring record. He could potentially set the record Saturday against the Pelicans but the most likely result is either Tuesday against the Thunder or Thursday against the Bucks. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the odds for James to break the mark against Milwaukee have dropped to -150, while the odds for him to break the record against OKC are now +165.

The Los Angeles Lakers will witness LeBron James take over as the league’s all-time leading scorer at some point during the next few weeks, assuming the King can stay healthy and maintain his current production. James is averaging a whopping 30.2 points per game on 50.5% shooting this season, which is insane considering he’s in his 20th season in the league.

Longevity, along with tremendous success, has helped James close in on a mark which many previously thought was unbreakable. The NBA scoring record, which was long held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, will soon belong to James.

The Lakers star is now 89 points away from surpassing Abdul-Jabbar and given his current scoring average, he should be expected to pass this mark in the next three games. That means James is likely to set this mark Tuesday, February 7 when the Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Of course, if he’s still a few points short, he can truly bring everything full circle by passing Abdul-Jabbar on February 9 when the Lakers play the Milwaukee Bucks. Abdul-Jabbar spent six seasons with the Bucks before coming to the Lakers, winning a title and three MVP awards with Milwaukee.