In a recent announcement, Giannis Antetokounmpo made a bold statement aiming to become the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. After scoring 29 points in a victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he expressed his ambition to surpass LeBron James before his career ends.

“I think to get to the top of the scoring list is not six, seven, eight years, I think it’s – in my opinion – four years away,” Antetokounmpo remarked. “I think I’m going to be 35 years old sitting in this chair having a discussion of I am the top [of the all-time scoring list].”
Translation: Antetokounmpo believes he can reach the top of the scoring list within four years, despite the challenges ahead.

Currently, Antetokounmpo has 21,002 points and needs to score 21,249 more to pass James’ existing record of 42,250 points. Given the demands of professional basketball, this goal may seem ambitious. However, should he maintain his health and average a robust scoring rate, he believes this feat is within reach.

In the analysis, it’s suggested that to realistically achieve this, he may need roughly a decade at a scoring average of 31.7 points per game, considering an estimated 67 games per season. With his current performance trajectory, which includes averaging over 30 points in the past seasons, many remain hopeful about his ambitions while acknowledging the hurdles posed by age and potential injuries.