Credit: AP Photo

LeBron James Bulldozing Through the NBA All-Time Scoring List

Last night—and for the third time this season—Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James passed an NBA great on the all-time scoring list.

First, it was Hakeem Olajuwon for 10th place on Nov. 2; then, James put Elvin Hayes in the dust for 9th place on Dec. 10. This time, James’ 27,409th career points came on a putback lay-in, moving him past the late Moses Malone for 8th place on the all-time list.

Next up is former teammate and four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal, who stands seventh place with 28,569 career points—about 1,150 points ahead of james. Though he is averaging 25.0 points per game in 2016-17, the Cleveland Cavaliers have 56 games left this season; it may be tough for James to pass O’Neal this season, but will easily do so next year.

How far will LeBron James get on the list in his career? James, 31, is still a dominant force in the league even though he is out of his 20’s. Some say “King James” is still in his prime and will be so for two-to-three more years; it’s pretty evident he is with his averages of 25.0+ points, 9.0+ assists and 7.0+ rebounds per game in 2016-17. Let’s say James plays another five productive, MVP-contending years averaging 2,000 points per season (as he has done almost every season of his career), James will be nipping at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s heels for first place on the all-time list.

What LeBron James has done so far in 2016-17 is extraordinary. Watching James climb up three spots in the all-time scoring list in one season is a reminder that he is one of the greatest players this league has ever seen.