On Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley made a humorous threat to LeBron James, who needs 63 more points to surpass Michael Jordan as the highest scorer of all-time. Barkley advised “The King” to break the record on Tuesday on TNT rather than on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Barkley and the crew discussed the LA Lakers’ 112-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a segment on Thursday’s broadcast.
Charles Barkley threatens LeBron James
Barkley hopes that James will create a historic moment during Tuesday’s TNT broadcast against the OKC Thunder, and if James fails to do so, Barkley has a warning for him.
“If he gets to 63, I’m gonna fly to New Orleans and beat the hell out of him. He needs that record on TNT. It’s gonna be pretty cool for us to have that game. This record here is one of the greatest records in sports, and we’re gonna have it either Tuesday or Thursday on TNT,” Barkley said.
LeBron James has a good chance of breaking the record this Saturday. He currently has 61 points, which is two short of breaking the NBA record for most points scored. The game against the OKC Thunder on February 7th, which will be broadcast live on TNT, is the one to pay close attention to. As the cost of tickets for the game rises, breaking the record at home in front of the LA Lakers faithful just feels appropriate.
Since December 30, when he turned 38, James has averaged 34.1 points per game. He only needs to hit his average on Saturday and Tuesday to make history. Once that happens, James and the Lakers will be able to concentrate on making the playoffs.
James on the NBA scoring record
LeBron James was urged by a reporter to consider breaking the NBA scoring mark and view it from a new viewpoint following the LA Lakers’ victory over the Indiana Pacers. James compared it to the home run mark in baseball and said it was one of the best records in sports history.
“I think it’s one of the greatest records in sports in general. I think it’s up there with the home run record in baseball. One of those records that you just don’t ever see or think that would be broken. … I know it’s been Kareem my whole life, so it’s pretty cool. It’s pretty cool,” James said.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s record has been unchallenged for almost 40 years, since 1984, leading many to believe it was insurmountable. However, James has the potential to surpass it and establish his own record-breaking feat.