What happened: LeBron James has produced 28,268 regular-season points for teammates off his assists throughout his career. That total nearly matches Carmelo Anthony's career scoring mark of 28,289 points, which ranks 11th in NBA history.
Why it matters: The milestone underscores James' dual scoring and playmaking impact across 24 seasons, generating nearly as many points via passing as one of the league's most prolific pure scorers produced overall. It also frames his imminent climb on the NBA's historical playmaking leaderboard.
By the numbers: James is averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game in 2026-27 through 9 games. He needs 16 assists to pass Jason Kidd (12,091) for third place on the NBA's all-time assists list.
What to watch: James will look to erase the 16-assist gap and surpass Kidd for third all-time during his upcoming regular-season schedule.