Lebron James, best basketball player in history, surpasses 40,000 points.

Congratulations to Lebron James, best basketball player in history, for not only surpassing the NBA record for points scored but being the first (and only) player to surpass 40,000 points. Now, I know what's coming my way. Arguably! you mean arguably! Or the lecture on how Jordan was "more clutch," had a three peat, has more rings, or played in an era where the league was more physical. I won't try and refute those arguments, but instead come from an entirely different perspective: longevity. Yes, longevity. In this era, the average NBA career is a mere 4.5 years long. That's not 4.5 years as a starter, but 4.5 years in the league total. This includes both players who play a fulfilling career, but also players who don't ever see the hardwood. Lebron, in his 21st season, is averaging 25.3 points a game. At 25.3 points per game, he's hardly a shell of himself - it's not even his lowest NBA season total. However, with age comes a lower overall usage - Lebron is only playing 35.1 minutes per game, his second lowest usage rate of his career. Think about it - playing the least minutes of his career and still scoring in the middle range. Let's face it, the man is an anomaly. No other basketball player has been able to compete at this level for so long. No other player has been able to score this many points - and there's no sign of stopping as of yet! Lebron may very well end his career 10,000 points in front of the next leading scorer. Who knows, he may set a scoring record that is never broken. Time will tell, but I can tell you now that the biggest winner is not the one who is further in the lead for a few years, but the one who holds the lead for the longest time.

Congratulations Lebron on 40,000, and long live the king.

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