In his 41st year on this planet and his 23rd year in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to rewrite his own records and history in the league.
The Lakers forward was the catalyst behind the team’s comeback victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 4, breaking another incredible record in the process.
LeBron James Writes His Own History Books
James finished the evening with 26 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists, helping the Lakers overturn a 16-point deficit to win 120-114. The ‘Kings’ 10 assists against the Grizzlies put him at 13,793 assists all-time, surpassing Chris Paul for second in all-time career assists (including playoffs).
Passing the 12-time All-Star in all-time assists is no easy feat, with Paul leading the NBA in assists in five separate seasons during his career (2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2022). The 41-year-old is already the record points scorer (50,834) and, by passing Paul for second in assists, is now in his own category in NBA history.
Could he hold the record for both before the end of his career? Despite James beating ‘Father Time’ with everything he has right now, the record looks entirely out of reach.
Utah Jazz legend John Stockton has the most career assists in the regular season and playoffs, registering a staggering 17,645 during his storied career. To put that record into perspective, James requires 3,852 more assists to go level with Stockton, meaning he would need to register 10 assists in over 385 games to match it.
The four-time MVP has shown he isn’t ready to slow down just yet, but he would need to play another four seasons at least, averaging 10 assists, to come close to the record. Becoming the all-time assists leader is the least of James’ worries as we enter 2026, with his Lakers team being legitimate contenders for the NBA championship.
The Lakers have snapped a dizzy run over the festive period to move into third in the Western Conference, just a couple of games back from the San Antonio Spurs. What’s even scarier for the rest of the NBA is that James has started to suss out his role in the Lakers’ offense, orchestrating and distributing to keep players effective and hot.
Even without Austin Reaves against Memphis, James helped Luka Dončić score 36 points, Jake LaRavia score 26, and DeAndre Ayton finish the night with 15 points. The Lakers need James to be motivated as we approach crunch time, and new records are only going to be fuel for the fire in his quest to win his fifth NBA championship.
