It is nearly time for the restart in the NBA: the 2025-26 season will begin on Tuesday and will last for approximately eight months. On this occasion, it is time to examine the different statistical stakes of this new campaign, between records to break and milestones to reach.
Points, rebounds, assists, steals, matches or field goals: several players will, as every year, have the possibility to progress in the league's statistical hierarchy. Provided that injuries do not come to play spoilsport...
Points
Far behind the untouchable LeBron James, Kevin Durant (30,571) and James Harden (27,687) will play respectively to enter the Top 5 and Top 10 of the greatest scorers in history. If "KD" needs 1,722 points (around sixty matches, with a rhythm of 25 points average?) to overtake Wilt Chamberlain, Dirk Nowitzki then Michael Jordan, "The Beard" only needs 603 points (around thirty matches, with a rhythm of 20 points average?) to move ahead of Carmelo Anthony.
A little further back, in 20th place, Russell Westbrook (26,205) is well on course to overtake Oscar Robertson, situated in 15th place, and thus become the greatest point guard in history for scoring. He will need 506 points for this, approximately forty matches with a rhythm of 12 points average.
If their physiques (finally) leave them alone, Anthony Davis (18,978), Paul George (18,697) and Kyrie Irving (18,433) have chances of accessing the "20,000 club". Around fifty matches with a rhythm of 20 points average should suffice for "AD", whilst "PG" and "Uncle Drew" risk having to wait until 2026-27 to imitate him...
It should be noted that ten are about to reach 10,000 points in their career: Kristaps Porzingis (9,839), Aaron Gordon (9,757), Brandon Ingram (9,656), Jamal Murray (9,623), Jerami Grant (9,428), Kyle Kuzma (9,210), Anthony Edwards (9,097), Myles Turner (9,031), Bam Adebayo (8,923) and finally Jalen Brunson (8,821).
Rebounds
The 10,000 rebounds in career mark is close for Rudy Gobert (9,700): he only needs 300 more to achieve it and he should wrap up the matter in around thirty matches, having not averaged less than 10 rebounds since... 2014-15. Already author of over 10,000 points in his career, the Frenchman would then validate a prestigious "double-double", until now achieved by 40 players (including LeBron James, Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic).
Assists
Russell Westbrook (9,925), him again, is only 75 small assists from crossing the 10,000 assists in career mark. A formality, since based on an average of 5 assists per match, he will become the 8th player in history to enter this "10,000 club" in around fifteen matches.
"Russ" can then turn towards the Top 5 of this ranking, since Steve Nash is only 410 assists ahead of him. But this will necessitate a full season of 82 matches, if one still bases it on an average of 5 assists per match. The appointment is made for 2026-27?
Also situated ahead of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James (11,584) would like to climb onto the podium of the greatest passers in history. Provided he distributes 508 assists to eject Jason Kidd from the Top 3. But this will probably be too difficult because of injuries, since he would need an average of 8 assists per match over around sixty matches...
Concerning James Harden (8,316), it also risks being complicated to enter the Top 10, by dislodging Isiah Thomas who is 745 assists higher. He would thus need to maintain an average of 10 assists per match over 75 matches!
Steals
Russell Westbrook (1,955), him again, is only 45 small steals from reaching the 2,000 steals in career threshold. Appointment in around forty matches - with a rhythm of 1 steal average - to see him become the 14th player in history to access the "2,000 club"?
On Marcus Smart's (994), Giannis Antetokounmpo's (961) and Nikola Jokic's (949) side, the objective will be lower, because they will rather concentrate on the 1,000 steals in career mark.
Matches
Will LeBron James (1,562) manage to climb onto the highest step of the podium? By playing 50 matches in 2025-26, he will overtake Robert Parish and add a new record to his trophy cabinet. Everything will depend on his state of health, whilst the "King" has played at least 50 matches per year during 21 of his 22 seasons in the league...
Further behind, Chris Paul (1,354) will seek to enter the Top 10 of this ranking and, for this, he will need to take part in 57 matches. Sufficient to move ahead of Clifford Robinson, Reggie Miller, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan and Jason Terry.
The 1,000 matches mark is in the sights of Harrison Barnes (993), Nikola Vucevic (972) and Tobias Harris (970), or even Kevin Love (952), Jonas Valanciunas (937) and Eric Gordon (925) with a little more effort.
Double-doubles
Objective 500 "double-doubles" in career for Andre Drummond (484), Rudy Gobert (476), Anthony Davis (470), Kevin Love (468) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (462). Largely within the reach of Gobert, Davis and Antetokounmpo, whilst Drummond and Love will have much more difficulty achieving it.
Triple-doubles
Will we have a battle for the leader's place between Russell Westbrook (203) and... Nikola Jokic (164)? Currently 3rd, behind Oscar Robertson, the "Joker" is coming off a season with 34 "triple-doubles", his personal record. He could therefore quickly climb to 2nd place and possibly tickle "Russ", his former teammate, who will not have as many opportunities to achieve them coming off the bench...
For Luka Doncic (82), it is not impossible to see him reach the 100 "triple-doubles" threshold during the season. This would make him the 7th player to achieve it.
Field goals
Another record that could soon fall into LeBron James' (15,488) basket: by scoring 350 field goals this season, he will become the new recordman in the matter, ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A matter doubtless settled in around forty matches, since he has not dropped below 9 field goals average per match since his rookie year.
Three-point field goals
By scoring 100 three-point field goals this season, Kevin Durant (2,191) will make his entry into the Top 10 of the most prolific players from long distance, in place of Vince Carter. At a rate of 2 three-pointers per match, this should take him around fifty matches. Watch out, however, that Buddy Hield (2,127) does not snatch the place from him before, or immediately after.
For their part, CJ McCollum (1,989), Mike Conley (1,930), Kyrie Irving (1,876), Chris Paul (1,860) and Tim Hardaway Jr (1,844) imagine themselves accessing the symbolic total of 2,000 three-point field goals in their career. Nothing difficult for McCollum and Conley, nor Hardaway Jr, even if it looks more delicate for Irving and Paul.
Free throws
What if James Harden (8,164) entered the Top 3 of players who have the most free throws in their career, after entering the Top 5 last season? To this day, he trails by 367 behind Moses Malone. With an average of 5 successes per match, he would need a little over 70 matches to climb onto the podium
This article was originally published on Basket USA.
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