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LeBron James Records: 5 ‘Unbreakable’ NBA Records Held By King James

From 21 All-Star selections to 40,000 points, these LeBron James NBA records may never be broken.

At 40 years old, LeBron James continues to defeat Father Time. On Thursday (January 23), the NBA announced that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has been selected for his record-extending 21st All-Star Game, a milestone further distancing him from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 19. 

King James, 22 seasons deep into his NBA career, has rewritten what longevity means for an NBA career and while doing so has set records—much like his 21-straight All-Star appearances—that may never be touched. Here are four more of his most impressive and possibly "unbreakable" achievements, explained.

1. All-Time Scoring Record (40,000+ Points)

Why It’s Impressive: Scoring over 40,000 points in an NBA career is the ultimate display of excellence and consistency. To achieve this, LeBron has averaged more than 25 points per game for over two decades while staying healthy and productive. For context, only seven players in NBA history have even reached 30,000 points. For further context, LeBron has been playing in the league since his video game counterpart looked like this.

Closest Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 38,387 points was broken by James in February 2023. Kevin Durant is the closest active player with 29,820 points as of January 2025. To surpass LeBron, Durant would need to score 11,550 more points, which would require playing 426 more games(!) while averaging his career scoring rate of 27.3 points per game—unlikely for a player already 35 years old and dealing with recurring injuries.

Why It’s Unbreakable: The physical demands of modern basketball make this feat nearly impossible to replicate. Players today often rest more frequently to avoid injuries, and you can’t score points while on the bench for load management. To break this record, a player would need to combine elite scoring ability with LeBron’s rare longevity and durability—something we’ve never seen before.

2. Most Consecutive Games Scoring in Double Digits

Why It’s Impressive: Since January 5, 2007, LeBron has scored at least 10 points in every single game he has played—over 1,800 consecutive games and counting. This streak spans more than 18 years without a single off-night due to poor performance or injury.

Closest Player: Kevin Durant has the longest active streak at 201 consecutive games, but he trails LeBron by over 1,000 games. To catch him, Durant would need to play every game for the next 13+ seasons (he’d be 48 years old), scoring at least 10 points each time.

Why It’s Unbreakable: The previous record was held by Michael Jordan at 866 games—less than half of LeBron's current streak. In today’s NBA, injuries and resting players during less critical games are common practices that make it unlikely for anyone to sustain such consistent scoring output for nearly two decades.

3. Most Playoff Wins (183)

Why It’s Impressive: Winning playoff games requires not only individual excellence but also leading teams deep into the postseason year after year. LeBron has played in more playoff games than any other player in NBA history and has consistently delivered when it matters most.

Closest Player: Derek Fisher is second all-time with 161 playoff wins, but he retired years ago. Among active players, Stephen Curry has 99 playoff wins, meaning he would need 80+ more victories, which could take another decade of deep playoff runs for the 36-year-old sharpshooter.

Why It’s Unbreakable: Deep playoff runs demand sustained dominance over multiple eras while avoiding injuries and maintaining peak performance. Few players even make the playoffs every year for two decades—let alone win at this rate.

4. Scoring 40 Points Against All 30 NBA Teams

Why It’s Impressive: Scoring 40 points in a game is hard enough. Doing it against every team in The Association demonstrates not only dominance but excellence while playing for at least two different teams.

Closest Player: Kobe Bryant came close but never scored 40 against the Lakers—because he played for them the entirety of his career. 

  • James Harden is close and has a 40-point game against every team except the Houston Rockets (his former team). But given his age (35), his pass-first role (only scored 40 points twice this season), and that his LA Clippers only play the Rockets once more this season (April 9), it seems ever more likely this record stays out of reach for The Beard and remains in LeBron’s possession. 
  • Kevin Durant has hit that mark against 28 teams (missing Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder), but is 36 years old and has also only cracked an Olde E twice in 2024-25.

Why It’s Unbreakable: Players rarely stay dominant long enough to face every team enough times to drop a 40-ball against them all. And, even if they do, this record requires a player to leave their original team and find a way to get 40 against their old squad. The sheer variety of opponents and factors makes this incredibly rare and difficult to replicate.

For fans who’ve watched LeBron James grow from a teenage phenom in a baggy Cavs jersey to one of the greatest athletes of all time, these records are reminders of why he remains basketball royalty—and why his legacy and place in the GOAT conversation will endure for generations to come.

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