NBA milestones watch: 9 players who could make history in 2024-25
Several NBA icons further cemented themselves as all-time greats last season. LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points, while Kevin Durant cracked the top 10 on the league's all-time scoring list. Even more players could make history this campaign.
Here are nine players chasing career milestones heading into the 2024-25 season.
LeBron's longevity
James is seemingly on a quest to break every statistical record the NBA has to offer. This season, it's all about his longevity. He's set to tie Vince Carter's record for most NBA campaigns at 22, he's 850 minutes away from becoming the NBA's all-time leader, and he's 69 games away from being No. 2 in contests played.
The 20-time All-Star is also set to jump other legends in some key counting stats. James only needs 33 steals to pass Scottie Pippen for seventh all time; he can move past Moses Malone with 142 made free throws for second all time; and he can pass Kyle Korver with 40 made triples for seventh all time.
In addition, James and his son, Bronny, will likely become the first father-son duo in the NBA to play together when the Los Angeles Lakers begin their season Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Chris Paul: The modern Point God
LeBron isn't the only player with historic longevity. Chris Paul only needs to appear in 36 contests to reach the top 20 in games played.
Paul also has the chance to surpass another legendary point guard. The 39-year-old Point God enters Year 20 just 198 assists and 71 steals away from passing Jason Kidd for second on both all-time lists.
Harden is still a bucket
James Harden isn't the same player who recorded 36.1 points per game in 2018-19, the highest single-season scoring average by someone not named Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan. However, he's still one of the most prolific scorers the Association has ever seen.
Case in point: Harden can leap from 20th to 15th on the league's all-time scoring ladder with only 784 points, passing the likes of Kevin Garnett, John Havlicek, Paul Pierce, Dominique Wilkins, and Tim Duncan. Harden has only failed to reach that mark during his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Plus, he needs just 34 made threes to pass Ray Allen for second all time.
The Los Angeles Clippers no longer have Paul George or Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard's status is unclear after he reportedly underwent offseason knee surgery. Expect Harden to have the ball in his hands a ton to start the season and have an early shot at those two milestones.
Giannis joins the 20K-point club
The 20,000-point club is usually considered the baseline for a Hall of Fame invite. Fifty-one players have surpassed that mark, with only three of those eligible for enshrinement having yet to be selected (Joe Johnson, Tom Chambers, and Antawn Jamison). Giannis Antetokounmpo is about to be Member No. 52.
The Greek Freak only needs to score 1,498 points to reach the vaunted 20,000-point plateau. He's accomplished that feat in every season since 2016. Adding this milestone to five All-Defense squads, a near-double-double average, and the Milwaukee Bucks' first NBA title since 1971 will further cement Antetokounmpo as a lock for the Hall.
Jokic's triple-double greatness
The reigning MVP has a chance to pass one of the NBA's all-time legends: Magic Johnson. Nikola Jokic only needs eight triple-doubles to surpass the former Lakers great for third most in NBA history. The Denver Nuggets star has accrued at least 10 triple-doubles every season since 2017-18 and has recorded an impressive 54 over the past two campaigns, as well as 130 overall. It shouldn't take the Serbian long to pass Johnson given his durability and career 27% usage rate. Jokic is also only 69 triple-doubles behind the all-time lead, held by new teammate Russell Westbrook.
DeRozan's march to 25K points
Reaching 25,000 points would be a historic achievement for DeRozan, putting him ahead of legends such as Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, and Ray Allen.
DeRozan has scored 23,528 points in his 15-year career thanks to a combination of consistent mid-range scoring, a prolific free-throw rate, and a run of good health. He'll reach the 25,000-point plateau in his 50th contest this season if he maintains last season's scoring rate of 24 per game.
Brook Lopez's rim protection
After morphing from a low-post bucket to one of the league's most prolific defensive centers, Bucks big man Brook Lopez only needs 57 rejections to crack the top 20 in the NBA's all-time blocks list. He's recorded at least 100 rejections in every season since becoming a Buck in 2018, apart from the 2021-22 campaign when he only played in 13 games.
The king of defense
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert became the third player to win four Defensive Player of the Year awards last season, tying NBA icon Dikembe Mutombo and Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace. Gobert should have a legitimate chance at becoming the only player to win five with another outstanding Minnesota defense, securing his legacy as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
Wembanyama hunts single-season blocks record
Jazz legend Mark Eaton's record of 456 blocks in 1984-85 seemed to be unbreakable - until Victor Wembanyama joined the league. Wembanyama has the best shot of any player in modern history to set a new single-season rejections record, even if it's unlikely. The 7-foot-3 Frenchman led the NBA with 254 blocks as a rookie. Only Shaquille O'Neal had more blocks in a single campaign (286 in 1992-93) at 20 or younger. Eaton's record is on standby for the foreseeable future.