Lakers: Jason Kidd Reflects On LeBron James Becoming NBA's All-Time Leading Scorer
Former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd, now the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks (oh, and he might have had a Hall of Fame career as a point guard and one of the best passers ever, too), has weighed in on a pass-first player becoming the NBA's first-ranked scorer.
On Tuesday, 19-time All-Star LA power forward LeBron James surpassed 19-time All-Star LA center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's former league record of 38,387 points scored (with just one three-pointer!) in the regular season against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before LBJ surpassed that sum, Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson of Bally Sports spoke with Kidd about The Chosen One's accomplishment:
"I think it's great when you talk about what LeBron's about to do, with the history of scoring because he didn't come in as a shooter," Kidd said. "He came in as a pass-first, kind of set-the-table guy. And so I think it gives those guys who have the total package in the sense of playmaking, being able to score, and not having to be a flat-out shooter -- a Reggie Miller or Ray Allen or Larry Bird-type guy -- you are now on the doorsteps of making history," Kidd reflected.
"But it also goes with longevity and health, of being able to take care of your body, understand what it means to be a pro, and not being afraid to spend money on his body, and making sure that he can play 50 years in this league," Kidd said.
We're pretty sure he was joking about the whole "50 years" thing. Either way, King James is showing few signs of slowing down in year 20. Although 50 years won't happen, we could see, say, half of 50 years happening?
