As the years have passed, James has become more skilled at shooting, and the three-point shot has become a key part of his scoring arsenal. To date, James has made 2,410 three-pointers, ranking eighth in NBA history. Korver's 2,450 three-pointers are only 41 points behind him, and surpassing him seems to be just around the corner.
If James can hit 151 three-pointers in the upcoming season, he will surpass Reggie Miller's 2,560 three-pointers and climb into fifth place in NBA history. However, given that only Ray Allen has ever reached that accomplishment and retired, James is expected to stabilize at either fifth or sixth place.
In terms of free throws, James has made 8,390 in his career, which is currently third all-time in NBA history. Moses Malone and Karl Malone round out the top two with 8,531 and 9,787 respectively. James is expected to surpass Moses Malone and become the second player in NBA history to make over 8,000 free throws if he makes 142 free throws in the upcoming season.
It's worth noting that James made 303 free throws last season, maintaining his personal high since the 2017-2018 season. He's averaged 269 free throws per game over the past three seasons, and if he can maintain that level, surpassing Moses Malone's record will be within reach. But to catch up to Karl Malone's 9,787, James still needs to cross a gap of 1,398.
When it comes to rebounding, James has been equally impressive as a forward on the defensive glass. His career defensive rebound total is now at 9,458, 10th in NBA history. James is averaging 415 defensive rebounds per season, and with another 24 rebounds, he would pass Moses Malone and jump into eighth place.
If James stays healthy and maintains his excellent rebounding performance in the upcoming season, he is expected to surpass Olajuwon at the end of the season to become the seventh defensive rebounding leader in NBA history. As for reaching 10,000 defensive rebounds, he may need at least two seasons of hard work.
As far as steals go, James has contributed 2,275 steals in his career, which ranks eighth in NBA history. Despite having less hope of cracking the top five, he still has the potential to break through in the upcoming season. James is currently 33 steals shy of Pippen (2,307), who is seventh all-time, and 36 steals shy of Maurice Chickens (2,310), who is sixth. With a pace of 70 steals per game over the past three seasons, James is on track to surpass both legends in the new season.
However, James still has more work to do to crack the top five. Fifth-place Gary Payton has 2,445 steals, which means James still needs to reach 170. Considering his age and number of appearances in a season, that milestone could take two seasons to achieve.
