An aspect of the NBA that makes it so watchable is the statistics and records. Who doesn’t love to talk about statistics, compare players and look at their achievements? I do this all the time with my brother, and we salivate over the thought of NBA records that could be broken.
In recent years, we have seen some amazing feats and records that were once thought unbeatable being torn down and eclipsed by today’s superstar players. These records are a testament to how the game has progressed and how even the most hallowed of records are not untouchable.
Records are prime markers for NBA sports betting too and it’s always so rewarding seeing your favorite player pop off in a game and go for a monster score, or getting close to a record like when Donovan Mitchel scored 71 earlier in the regular season.
If you are into your stats and records, we take a deep dive into the NBA archives and have listed five current NBA players who are record breakers and what they have achieved – enjoy!
LeBron James – passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring record
Oh my! Can you believe that I set my alarm to get up to watch the moment LeBron passed Kareem for the all-time scoring record, but it didn’t go off! Living in the UK has its drawbacks and this was one of them. Nonetheless, I watched the game the next day and it was incredible.
The great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record has stood for decades and no one would ever have thought that it would be broken. But then came along LeBron James and he is currently beating father time and playing at an All-Star level at the age of 38.
LeBron now stands as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and what’s even crazier is that he is most likely going to extend his margin, considering he has a few more years of playing!
What this man is doing is incredible and I love seeing how long he can continue his career for, although MJ will always be the GOAT to me, regardless of how long LeBron lasts!
Steph Curry – passing Ray Allen for the all-time 3pt made record
Wardell Stephen Curry is regarded as the greatest shooter of all time and the four-time NBA champion stands at the top of the list of 3pt shooting legends. I remember the game when he passed Ray Allen for the most 3 pointers made in the NBA, and since then, he has smashed the record by some margin.
At the time of writing this, Curry has 3,376 3PM, compared to Ray Allen’s 2,973. The third spot goes to James Harden, who is a whopping 600 behind Steph! Now, with the development of the league and the emphasis on 3pt shooting, I think this is one of the records that could potentially be broken.
Still, it would take an incredible shooter with Steph-like talent to do this!
Giannis Antetokounmpo – first player to finish top 20 in all five stats in a season
Giannis is my favorite active NBA player and he has a huge list of accolades already, including a Finals MVP, two regular season MVPs, a DPOY, four All-NBA first teams and four All-NBA defensive first teams. The man is a living legend and he has carved out a name for himself as a true great.
Did you know, however, that Giannis was the first ever player to finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories in a regular season? These are, of course, points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
This is an incredible feat and it shows just how dominant Giannis is on both ends of the court, and how good his basketball fundamentals are.
This is a record that could be beaten but the likely contenders are missing parts of their game. For example, Luka Dončić could potentially do it but he isn’t a great defender or shot blocker. Embiid might come close too but he doesn’t get many steals.
It’s a big ask but there is one person who could do it – Giannis, again!
Luka Dončić – first teenager in the NBA to record a 30pt triple double
Whether you love him or hate him, you can’t deny the talent and skill Luka Dončić has. He is an incredible player and despite playing just four seasons in the NBA, he has already earned four All-Star selections and three All-NBA first teams.
That in itself is pretty much a record and there is only really Magic Johnson who has done something similar.
But that’s not the record we have in mind. Luka Dončić was actually the first teenager to record a 30pt triple double in the NBA. This was against the Toronto Raptors, where he scored 35pts.
We can expect the boy wonder to go on to break many more records and if Dallas get their act together, they could win multiple championships with Luka’s generational talent.
Josh Giddey – youngest player to record a triple double
Josh Giddey has already proved himself to be a fantastic player and he is one of the driving forces behind OKC, together with SGA. The Australian player is a capable scorer but also a brilliant passer and rebounder, and thus he is turning into a triple double machine.
In the 2021-22 season (Giddey’s rookie season), at the age of 19 years and 84 days, he became the youngest player ever to record a triple double. He took the record from Markelle Fultz, who was the previous holder at 19 years and 317 days.
Giddey has since gone on to get more triple doubles and he continues to be a bright young player who has a great future in the league.
Which records do you think will be broken in the future and which will stand the test of time?
As you can see, even the most sacred of records are not unbeatable and LeBron has proved that anything is possible. The future of the NBA certainly looks interesting and with superstars playing for longer and having longer primers, what other records do we think will be broken?
There are certain ones that I believe will never fall, like Wilt Chamberlains 50pt average for an entire season, or indeed, Wilt’s 100pt game. But what about other major statistical categories, such as blocks, steals and assists?
I can’t wait to continue watching the NBA to see which records will be broken in the future!