LeBron James has now been an All-Star for more than half of his entire lifespan. The 39-year-old was named an NBA All-Star for the 20th time, a new NBA record. The previous record was 19, held by fellow Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whom he also surpassed last year to become the NBA’s all-time scorer.
The only time James was not an All-Star was in his rookie season, the 2003-04 campaign. Of course, James gets the popularity vote, but his numbers say he undoubtedly should be an All-Star – and even though it is his 21st NBA season, there is still plenty more left in the tank.
The four-time NBA champ and MVP is averaging 24.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. His 39.1 three-point percentage is the second-best mark of his career, and he is one of just four players this season to put up a 20-7-7 per-game stat line.
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Simply put, James is defeating Father Time. Among players who have played in over 50 games at age 35 or older, his 27.3 points per game in that span are the most (he averaged 27.1 points before his 35th birthday). James dropped 28.9 points per game last year, his 20th in the league, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s previous record of 17.8 points per game by a player in his 20th NBA campaign.
Say what you want about James and how you think he will never come close to Michael Jordan – what cannot be argued is the fact that we have never seen 20 years of dominance in the NBA – until now, and it does not seem to be stopping any time soon.