MEMPHIS — Further defining his reputation as a dual threat, LeBron James became the first player in league history to rank in the top 10 in both the NBA’s all-time assists and scoring lists.
Already ranked No. 5 in all-time points coming into Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers star entered into a class of his own by finding Kyle Kuzma for a layup with 6:58 remaining in the first quarter to put L.A. up 15-14. It was the 8,525th assist of his career, passing Andre Miller for No. 10 in all-time helpers.
Next up for James on both lists is a pair of Hall of Famers who faced off in the 1996 NBA Finals: Michael Jordan and Gary Payton.
Jordan is No. 4 in all-time scoring, with 32,292 points. James came into the night with 32,138 points. Payton is No. 9 on the all-time assists list, with 8,966.