Wilt Chamberlain is perhaps the most dangerous shooter in NBA history. He holds the NBA record for most points in a game (100), most points per game in a season (50.4) and most field goals in a season (1,597), but because he is in an era played without much of the modern medical advances. some of his career records are vulnerable, allowing for the kind of longevity that current players achieve.
LeBron James, for example, has already passed him on the NBA’s all-time standings. He did so in November 2018, just after joining Chamberlain’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, he overtook Chamberlain on another all-time list. With his third field goal against the Denver Nuggets, James reached 12,682 for his career. This gives him the third most in NBA history. The game came on a layout early in the first quarter.
James has another way to go before he catches the two players currently ahead of him on the list, who also happen to be the NBA’s top two scorers. Both are former Lakers. Karl Malone is in second place with 13,528 field goals, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 15,837 is the leader of all time.
LeBron has averaged about 735 field goals per season for his career. So if he accepts that he maintains his current pace, he will pass Malone by the end of next season and then need another three seasons to catch up with Kareem. It should be noted, however, that the difficulty level on LeBron’s shots is somewhat higher, as he plays in an NBA dominated by the three-pointer. Abdul-Jabbar has tried 18 in his entire career, while Chamberlain has not played in a league with a three-point line. When LeBron finally passes Kareem, it will be so much more impressive.