As the 2020-21 play-offs come to a close and anticipation builds for next season, we’ve looked at the all-time NBA stats records to see which of the regular season marks are close to being broken.
Curry red hot from long range
The most likely of the big records to be broken next season is the total number of three-point field goals.
Steph Curry has single-handedly revolutionised the use of the three-pointer and is considered by many to be the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.
It would therefore be fitting if the Warriors’ point guard ends his career with the most three-pointers of all-time: a record which he is only 141 away from setting.
Given that Curry racked up 337 in the 2020-21 season, it would take nothing short of a catastrophe to prevent him from smashing Ray Allen’s existing tally.
Allen retired at the age of 39, so the 33-year-old Curry could push the record significantly higher if he ends up enjoying the same degree of longevity.
King James closing in on Kareem
The man chasing the most all-time NBA stats records at the moment is LeBron James. The Lakers’ forward is already set to go down in history as one of the game’s all-time greats and is the closest active player to several tallies.
James has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player on four separate occasions, which only three players have ever bettered. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six remains the standard to beat, with Michael Jordan and Bill Russell on five apiece.
However, as he will turn 37 at the end of 2021 and hasn’t been named MVP since 2013, securing the award twice more in his career may be a tall order.
LeBron is also chasing another record of Jabbar’s that may prove easier to surpass: the most points scored in NBA history.
Just 3,020 points separate the two men, which is a gap that could only take a couple more seasons to bridge.
At the very least, he could move ahead of second-placed Karl Malone in the all-time rankings, which would only require around half as many points.
If James were to play every single game of the 2021-22 season, then he would enter another all-time top 10, drawing level with Tim Duncan’s tally of games played.
However, he is 302 appearances away from setting a new standard in this category, which would require him to keep playing into his forties.
Stockton still out on his own
One NBA record that will not be broken any time soon is for the number of career assists.
Chris Paul will almost certainly move up the rankings from his current fifth place, as reaching third would require just 61 more.
However, John Stockton’s all-time record looks set to stand for some time, as the 36-year-old Paul would need to rack up more than 5,000 additional assists to even come close.
Dwight Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but if he decides to continue his NBA career then he will surely enter the all-time top 10 for rebounds.
The experienced center needs fewer than 200 more to do so, but at 36 is unlikely to reach the upper echelons of the all-time rankings.
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