LeBron James scoring tracker as of 7th January, 2023 | How far is LeBron from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record?

LeBron James and the LA Lakers are doing more than just fighting to stay afloat in Anthony Davis' absence - they're actually winning. The team picked up their fourth straight win on Friday when they squared off against the Atlanta Hawks once again.

Having spent time on the sidelines with a non-COVID-related illness, LeBron James made his return to the lineup. He quickly picked up from where he left off, putting on a clinic against the Hawks with 25 points and 10 assists as the team cruised to a sixteen-point victory.

With this 25-point outing, James has moved one step closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record. He now sits just 459 points behind the Hall of Famer on the regular season scoring list.

Based on his career scoring average of 27.1 points per game, it would take him 17 games to reach the mark. Based on his scoring average this season of 28.9 points per game, it would take him 16 games to reach the mark. Barring any setbacks that would force him to the sidelines, he will be taking the court on February 7th for that 16th gamw, when the Lakers take on the OKC Thunder.

Game number 17 would be another home game for James and the Lakers when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9th.

Above, you can see some highlights from James and the Lakers' second massive win over the Atlanta Hawks.

LeBron James & the LA Lakers are rising to the occasion without Anthony Davis

Although the team has been missing Anthony Davis, who had been putting up MVP-caliber numbers early in the year, they've managed to put together a good win streak. Between LeBron James turning back the clock, Russell Westbrook thriving in his role, and roleplayers like Dennis Schroder stepping up, the Lakers are coming good.

In their fourth straight win, LeBron James' teammates rose to the occasion. Specifically, Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, and Thomas Bryant all had major contributions.

Thomas Bryant had a double-double in just 27 minutes, with 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder contributed another 21 points with 5 threes. Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn both had huge games off the bench, with Westbrook on triple-double watch.

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In 30 minutes off the bench, the former MVP had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists while shooting 50% from the field. Add onto that a 23-point outing from Kendrick Nunn, who seemed to be having a huge breakout game, and it's no wonder the Lakers' win streak continued.

With LeBron James all but guaranteed to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time regular season scoring record, it seems to be a matter of 'when' not 'if'. When he does, one thing is certain: plenty of his close friends, former teammates, and celebrities will all be in attendance.

As Dwayne Wade stated recently in an interview with Sports Illustrated:

"He now has an opportunity to be what we know it’s going to take somebody another 40 years before they are able to even come close to, right? So it’s amazing. At least if I can’t be there on the day that he does it, I hope to be somewhere in front of a TV, and I’ll definitely be one of the first text messages that he reads when the game ends."

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