If you were born anytime in or after 2003, you have not known a day without LeBron James in the NBA.
From the second he entered the league, it belonged to James. Instantly averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds, he established himself as one of the best players the game had to offer.
Since then, he’s arguably done more than any other player has ever accomplished statistically. When you look back at the record books one day, you’ll find that he was consistently both the youngest and oldest player to hit every milestone.
You’ll also find that he leads the NBA all-time in both points (42,250 and counting) and All-NBA selections (21). He has made an All-NBA team every single season outside of his rookie year — 21 consecutive seasons.
In the last couple of years, the NBA changed its policy on its end-of-season awards, requiring a minimum number of games played to qualify. Because of this, we may see one of the most outstanding records in sports come to an end.
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LeBron James unlikely to qualify for All-NBA teams
During the 2023-24 season, the NBA implemented a new rule in hopes that it would incentivize players to play more games. They said that in order to qualify for end-of-season awards such as MVP, DPOY and All-NBA selections, you must play a minimum of 65 games.
This rule makes a ton of sense, as 65 games is a little over two-thirds of the season. The league’s best, barring injury, should have no problem hitting that mark.
Unfortunately for James, after already missing 15 games, he can’t miss more than two games for the remainder of the season if he looks to keep his All-NBA streak alive.
We’ve already seen a few instances of James looking human this season. Could this be a sign that we may be witnessing his final season? Or are we all going to be proven fools yet again when he rattles off an entire December or January of averaging 25-7-7?
We’ll just have to wait and see.
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