The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most watched sports leagues in the world. Among the hundreds of records in the NBA that players may strive for, there are a few that top the list. Some of the greatest accomplishments for players are most wins in a season, most points in a game, and most championships. However, above all else, the hardest record a player may strive for is most points in a NBA career. This record has been held for nearly 40 years by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387. A lot of hype has surrounded Lebron James recently as he nears this impressive feat.

     On April 5 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlain for the all time scoring record in the NBA. Wilt played 14 seasons in the NBA. Of his 14 NBA seasons, Wilt scored 31,419 points. This is equivalent to 2,244 points per season over Wilt’s career. This even includes seasons he went for other stats such as assists. Furthermore, Lebron has many more opportunities than any of the older NBA had also. With the help of modern technology and equipment, Lebron can be on very expensive diets and stay healthy with the help of his millions of dollars of deals and sponsorships. Also, Lebron plays in shoes especially made for his feet that get changed nearly every game. When Wilt played in the NBA, he played in Chuck Taylor’s. For instance, the game in which Wilt scored 100 points in one game was played in Converse Chuck Taylor’s. So, if Wilt played with today’s equipment he would have far more records than his 70+ records already.

     So, as Lebron climbs to the top of the leaderboard in points scored, I hope people don’t overrate him anymore than they already do. Lebron is only 36 points away from Kareem’s record, so he will most definitely achieve the record in his next game or the game after that. This achievement isn’t fully an achievement of how you play, but more of how long you play. Lebron has over 38,000 points now accumulated from his 20 year career. Of the top 30 highest scoring seasons in the NBA, Wilt has 7 of those seasons. Also of those 30 seasons, Lebron has 0. Kareem also holds 2 of the top 30 scoring seasons in the NBA. So, if Wilt chose to play as long as Lebron did, he would have far more points than Lebron. Wilt chose to retire, he was more than capable to keep playing. In his free time, he still lifted weights constantly, did everyday workouts, and ran marathons.