Have you ever wondered, ‘Is there a limit to LeBron James’s prowess?’ Just when you think that the veteran cannot go further than he already has at his advanced age, he surprises you as if he is Nico Harrison trading for Luka Doncic. The same was seen during the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game was no ordinary one, as it marked the NBA All-Time Scorer setting the benchmark even higher by taking his All-Time score above 50,000 points! If it was difficult for a modern NBA player earlier to even surpass the record after LeBron surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s number, it is downright impossible for them to reach the Lakers star’s potential now. Despite this, those who are hungry for more will continue to ask for more. And Luka Doncic and Shaquille O’Neal want to see a bigger number define LeBron’s legacy.
After the win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Luka Doncic took to his official Instagram account. He highlighted LeBron’s feat on his Instagram story, and wrote “Insane”. The Slovenian elaborated on that praise during a post-game presser, stating, “It’s amazing, watching him do this stuff. At his age, It’s just unbelievable, like 50K points. I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K, you never know”. Woah!
Some might say that Luka Doncic’s belief about the 40-year-old setting a 70,000-point scoring record is too much. However, the 50,000 points are a culmination of the points scored in the regular season and the playoffs. In the last 4 years, the Lakers have managed to qualify for the playoffs thrice. They have gone beyond the first round only once. Since then, two additional factors have helped to enhance the team’s standing: a new coach and a new offensive player.
Since Luka Doncic’s acquisition, the Lakers have won 8 of their last 10 games and are currently on a 7-game win streak. With the Slovenian at his side, LeBron has a better chance of going further in the playoffs while also scoring during the regular season at his own free will. If the 40-year-old chooses to play for another 3-4 years, and the Lakers maintain their win streaks, then attaining the 70K record will not be so tough.
Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
The assistance that Luka Doncic can provide in helping LeBron reach 70K is something that other analysts believe too. During the recent ‘Inside the NBA’ episode, former NBA player Vince Carter said that with Luka, LeBron doesn’t have to carry the load offensively. He does not always have to be the facilitator. Instead, he can “just get to catch and shoot, get some runouts every now and then, back door Cuts, post-ups”. Carter’s statement led Shaquille O’Neal to adopt the same thought as the Slovenian. After all, he said, “Mess around, get 70,000 points”. If a 4x NBA champion and Hall of Famer believes that LeBron James can attain that milestone, then nuff said.
The milestone will not be attained easily. It will require more game appearances, scoring at the same level as the player always has been. Maybe at a higher rate, knowing that his time in the NBA is limited. If LeBron has come this far, he can certainly go beyond. However, having known the toll that getting here has taken on him and his family, will the player want to go further?
LeBron James indicates “falling out of love with the process” as biggest threat to 70K Milestone
There was no chance that LeBron James would attain the 50K milestone and not have a group of journalists interview him. Sure enough, the player was participating in a Q&A session right after the game. During the same, LeBron was asked about the hardest part in sustaining this level of play at this career stage. The Lakers star bluntly replied, “Just not falling out of love with the process. Continue to fall in love with the process. Thats the hardest thing every single year. It’s a long season, It’s 82 games. 41 of those is on the road. So a lot of travel. As you get older it affects you even differently in family and affects you differently. So the process, just try and not fall out of love with the process”.
LeBron James on the hardest part about sustaining this level of play this late into his career: “Just not falling out of love with the process” pic.twitter.com/QZM1FE1AJ9
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 5, 2025
Imagine being in the NBA for 22 years. To continue playing at a point of time where even your 20-year-old eldest son is now your teammate. LeBron James has seen several players come and go within his tenure, faced the same routine of playing home games and then travelling for other games year after year. After having devoted more than two decades, fulfilled the expectations of so many fans, the player certainly deserves to retire and spent the rest of his life filling the days he missed with his family.
While his love for basketball takes precedence for now, the hard part of being apart from his wife and children occasionally will one day get to LeBron. Whether that happens before or after the 70K milestone is something we will see.
The post Shaquille O’Neal & Luka Doncic Make Their Demands to LeBron James Clear Amid Emotional Family Confession over 50K Milestone appeared first on EssentiallySports.
