On July 19, Beijing time, the 2022-23 season is destined to be a record year for James. He will not only challenge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring title in the NBA, but also usher in his 20th career season. "Basketball Forever" statistics said that next season, James will become the ninth player in NBA history to play 20 seasons in his career.
The previous eight players who have played at least 20 seasons are:
1. Carter, season 22
2. Garnett, season 21
3. Nowitzki, season 21
4. Robert Parish, Season 21
5. Kevin Willis, Season 21
6. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Season 20
7. Kobe Bryant, Season 20
8. Jamal Crawford, 20 seasons
In the 2021-22 season, the 37-year-old James played 56 games and still averaged 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, with a total shooting rate of 52.4% and a three-point shooting rate of 35.9%. It is foreseeable that James will still play well next season, and he will also have the best 20th season of his career in NBA history.