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On Saturday, LeBron James became the first player to score 40,000 points and make NBA history. This remarkable achievement puts the incredible skill and longevity of his career into perspective. For example, for another all-time leading scorer, Stephen Curry, to reach 40,000 points, he must maintain his current career scoring average of 25 points per game and play at least 70 games a year for the next 16 seasons, until he is 51 years old.
NBA statistician Kirk Goldsberry visualized the magnitude of LeBron's feat, highlighting its rarity and significance. However, despite this achievement, LeBron's recent games have consisted of losses, including a loss to the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets, the night he scored his 40,000th point for the eighth consecutive time.
While LeBron has won four NBA championships with three different teams, including the Lakers in 2020, his team, the Lakers, are struggling in tenth place in the Western Conference in the current season. Despite LeBron's extraordinary performances, the Lakers are unlikely championship contenders and considered an average, if not mediocre, team.
In the context of NBA history, the end of LeBron's career can be seen as tragic or disappointing, as seen with other basketball legends. However, what sets LeBron apart is how gracefully he's handling the later years of his career. Unlike players like Michael Jordan, whose final years were riddled with struggle and disappointment, LeBron is rewriting the narrative. He has managed to avoid the trap of defining himself entirely in comparison to Jordan, opting instead to create his own path.
LeBron's approach to his career and life has been more humane, relatable, and insightful than the often oppressive and relentless pursuit of perfection seen in Jordan. Avoiding the burden of being constantly compared to Jordan, LeBron is leaving a legacy of independence and self-determination for future superstars to follow. Jordan vs. While the LeBron debate will continue, there's no question that LeBron's ability to go out on his own terms will only enhance his legacy in the long term.