Further defining his reputation as a dual threat, LeBron James became the first player in league history to rank in the top 10 in both the NBA’s all-time assists and scoring lists.
NBA Career Assist Leaders
| John Stockton | 15,806 |
| Jason Kidd | 12,091 |
| Steve Nash | 10,335 |
| Mark Jackson | 10,334 |
| Magic Johnson | 10,141 |
| Oscar Robertson | 9,887 |
| Isiah Thomas | 9,061 |
| Chris Paul | 9,006 |
| Gary Payton | 8,966 |
| LeBron James | 8,535 |
Already ranked No. 5 in all-time points coming into Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers star entered into a class of his own by finding Kyle Kuzma for a layup with 6 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter to put L.A. up 15-14. It was the 8,525th assist of his career, passing Andre Miller for No. 10 in all-time helpers.
James ended the night with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists — his 79th career triple-double, which breaks a tie with Wilt Chamberlain for fifth-most in NBA history.
Next up for James is a pair of Hall of Famers who faced off in the 1996 NBA Finals: Michael Jordan and Gary Payton.
Jordan is No. 4 in all-time scoring, with 32,292 points. James ended the night with 32,162 points. Payton is No. 9 on the all-time assists list, with 8,966.