As the league prepares for its 80th season, there are plenty of milestones within reach for several stars. Most notably, veteran leaders such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic can climb the leaderboards on the stat sheets to continue carving their names into league history. But what other unbelievable accolades should you keep your eyes on this season, and how far are these superstars away from achieving them?

We break down landmark stats to keep an eye on in the 2025-26 season, as some stars solidify their leads on the all-time stat sheets while others join familiar company in the top 10 rankings.

Research contributed by ESPN Research’s Michael Schwartz

LeBron set to reach new heights

In December 2024, James officially became the first NBA player to play as both a teenager and a 40-year-old. He and his son, Bronny, also became the first father-son duo to play in the league together after the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bronny in the 2024 NBA draft. Now, LeBron, the all-time points leader, will look to raise the standard even higher.

James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in 2023, but this season, he can pass Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in made field goals. James is 350 field goals away from Abdul-Jabbar’s record (15,837), and “The King,” who has made at least 400 field goals every season (651 made in 2024-25), is likely to surpass the Lakers great again.

LeBron James is entering his 23rd season in the NBA, making him the record holder for most seasons played in the league and surpassing Vince Carter’s 22 seasons. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Entering his 23rd season, James will pass Vince Carter for the most career seasons, and if he can stay healthy, he is only 50 games away from passing Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in NBA history. James can also pass Reggie Miller for sixth on the all-time 3-point field goal list on opening night of the 2025-26 season when the Lakers face off against the Golden State Warriors, as he’s only two away from the mark.

Veterans continue their all-time scorers climb

Durant was one of the biggest names on the move this offseason, after being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in early July as part of a historic seven-team deal. In his 17th season and on his fifth NBA team, Durant figures to be one of the biggest milestone movers as he’s 849 points away from passing Wilt Chamberlain for seventh on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Barring injury, Durant could hit this mark as he has cleared 1,000 points in all seasons in which he has played over 35 games.

Durant’s former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, James Harden, can also move up the all-time scorers list. “The Beard” is only 603 points away from passing Carmelo Anthony for 10th and 910 away from passing Shaquille O’Neal for ninth. Harden has scored at least 910 points every season of his career except as a rookie, and doubled that mark last season while playing on one of the oldest teams in the league, the LA Clippers.

Assist leaders ascend

Harden has a larger hill to climb in the assists category, as he’s 746 away from moving up a spot on the all-time list — he’s currently 13th. He will have to pass Andre Miller (8,524), Gary Payton (8,966) and Isiah Thomas (9,061) to reach the top 10, and he’s only hit the 746 mark in a single season twice in his career. It appears more likely that he’ll be able to move into 12th, surpassing Miller, this season.

Breaking News from Shams Charania

Download the ESPN app and enable Shams Charania’s news alerts to receive push notifications for the latest updates first. Opt in by tapping the alerts bell in the top right corner. For more information, click here.

Harden’s former teammate, Russell Westbrook, currently sits a eighth on the all-time list (9,925) and could become the eighth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 this season. If he’s able to find a home this season, Westbrook can also move up this list, passing Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson and Steve Nash in fifth. He’s only 411 assists away from joining Chris Paul and LeBron James in the top five — he had 457 total assists last season with the Nuggets.

But Westbrook will be aiming at a moving target as James will also move up the all-time assists list. He’s only 508 away from passing Jason Kidd for third and he has reached that mark in each of his past two seasons, so expect that milestone to be hit this season if James avoids injury.

From way downtown

Stephen Curry should be cooking again in his 17th season with the Warriors. Curry is 292 3-pointers away (regular season and playoffs combined) from becoming the first player with 5,000 3s. But we might not see this mark hit until later in the season, as he hit 311 regular-season 3s last season alone and 357 the season before.

Stephen Curry, right, is the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. Former teammate Klay Thompson, left, could climb up the all-time list this season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Curry’s former Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, is 108 three-pointers away from passing Damian Lillard for fourth on the all-time 3-pointers list. With Lillard out for the season, Thompson can most likely hit this mark if he stays healthy, as he hit 216 in his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks. He could move up to third but would need 277 3s to pass Ray Allen for that distinction, a mark he reached only once in his career (2022-23).

The health of Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers is also a big question this season. George, now entering his 16th season, is 102 3s away from passing Kyle Korver for eighth on the all-time list. In his last season with the Clippers, when he was fully healthy, he hit 243 3s during the regular season and could do so again if he’s able to stay on the court.

Conquerors of the triple-double

Last season, Jokic, a three-time MVP set an NBA record when he recorded the league’s first 30-20-20 triple-double while also leading the league with 34 total triple-doubles on the season.

This season, the Nuggets’ triple-double maestro is just 18 away from passing Oscar Robertson (181) for the second most in NBA history, behind Russell Westbrook (203).

As the Nuggets try to maximize their championship window, it’s not out of the question that Jokic could hit that mark while also becoming the second player in NBA history to reach 200.

Last season, Nikola Jokic, left, had a 30-point, 22-assist, 21-rebound game, the first 30-20-20 triple-double in NBA history. Luka Doncic is closing in on 100 triple-doubles for his career. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lakers superstar Luka Doncic can also continue his climb up the list. Doncic is 18 triple-doubles away from becoming the seventh player with 100 career triple-doubles. Doncic, 26, is also 26 triple-doubles away from passing his former Mavericks coach, Jason Kidd, for sixth on the all-time list.

Let the record show

Accolades don’t usually come in the form of records, but two tenured coaches, Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle, can make history this season on the all-time wins list. Rivers, entering his 26th season coaching in the NBA, is just 14 wins away from passing George Karl for sixth on the list.

 

But after the Milwaukee Bucks waived Damian Lillard, he signed the Portland Trail Blazers and the team is looking to maximize its championship window with Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s unclear how this season might shake out.

 

If the Bucks can overachieve, Rivers is 49 wins away from passing Pat Riley for fifth and 60 wins from passing Jerry Sloan for fourth.

Carlisle, fresh off a Finals appearance, is now 50 wins away from passing Rick Adelman to reach the top 10 club on the all-time list.

Every new NBA season brings its own stories, but few are as compelling as the chase for milestones. The 2025–26 campaign is shaping up to be historic in more ways than one, with several superstars positioned to climb all-time leaderboards, shatter personal bests, and rewrite the statistical narrative of the league. Beyond the usual race for MVP and championships, this season’s drama will include legends pushing the boundaries of career totals and rising stars threatening to make their mark earlier than anyone expected. The stat sheet is not just a record of what happened; it is a roadmap of how greatness is remembered. And this year, it promises fireworks.

At the forefront of milestone watch is LeBron James, entering his remarkable 23rd season. Already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron continues to redefine longevity. He stands within striking distance of 43,000 career points, a plateau that once seemed unimaginable. Each game he plays adds to a record that might remain untouchable for decades, if not forever. Beyond points, he is also climbing the all-time assists leaderboard, with the possibility of overtaking Steve Nash for fourth place. For a player who has been labeled everything from scorer to playmaker to ironman, LeBron’s ability to appear on multiple leaderboards only enhances his claim to being the most complete player the sport has ever seen.

Stephen Curry is also on the cusp of statistical immortality. Already the king of three-pointers, he enters the 2025–26 season with more than 3,800 triples to his name, making the quest for 4,000 a central storyline. No player in history has come close to this figure, and Curry’s accomplishment will likely set a standard that future generations will struggle to touch. Beyond the numbers, every three-pointer he makes serves as a reminder of how radically he changed the geometry of the game. Even if younger shooters like Trae Young or Anthony Edwards one day challenge his record, Curry’s place as the architect of basketball’s modern perimeter revolution will be untouchable. Reaching 4,000 threes would simply put the exclamation point on that legacy.

On the other end of the floor, Kevin Durant continues to inch his way up the scoring ladder. Now sitting in the top ten all-time, Durant has a chance to pass legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain by season’s end, putting him within range of the top five before his career concludes. For a player who has long been known for his effortless scoring ability, this climb up the leaderboard is fitting. Durant’s legacy has always been tied to his shot-making brilliance, and as he approaches 30,000 career points, the conversation around him may shift from his championships to his place in the pantheon of pure scorers.

Nikola Jokić is another superstar who seems destined for statistical greatness this season. While his counting stats may not yet rival those of veterans like LeBron or Durant, his combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking continues to produce unprecedented totals. Jokić has a realistic chance to average a triple-double across the season, something only Russell Westbrook has achieved in modern times. Yet unlike Westbrook, Jokić’s efficiency makes his version of the triple-double even more astonishing. Another year of 10-plus assists per game from the center position would further redefine what we expect from big men, and cement his status as one of the most revolutionary players of his era.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is also chasing history in his own way. Already one of the league’s most dominant forces, Giannis is closing in on 20,000 career points before the age of 32. When you add in his rebounding and defensive statistics, he is building one of the most well-rounded statistical résumés ever. More importantly, his relentless drive to add to his game each offseason means his ceiling might still not be fully defined. For Giannis, this season could be about reinforcing his status as a perennial MVP candidate, while also setting up a climb into the top tier of career leaders sooner than many expected.

Younger stars are also beginning to make their mark on the milestone conversation. Luka Dončić, now in his prime, is on pace to shatter records for cumulative triple-doubles at an age where most players are still finding their footing. His combination of scoring, rebounding, and passing has already drawn comparisons to legends, and this season could see him move past LeBron and Magic Johnson in the list of youngest players to hit various statistical benchmarks. For Dončić, milestones are less about cementing a legacy and more about confirming what many already believe: he is on track to be one of the defining players of his generation.

Anthony Edwards, fresh off his breakout year, is another young star worth watching. While he may not yet be close to the career totals of veterans, his rapid scoring growth puts him on pace to join the 10,000-point club earlier than almost anyone in history. If he continues his upward trajectory, this season could mark his entry into conversations usually reserved for all-time greats. Beyond the numbers, Edwards’ charisma and flair give his milestones an added weight; when he hits a record, it resonates with fans as a sign of the changing guard in the NBA.

Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook remains in the spotlight for career totals as well. Despite shifting into more of a role-player position, his accumulation of triple-doubles has already placed him at the top of that list, and every additional one just widens the gap between him and the next closest player. Westbrook’s legacy is polarizing, but the raw numbers tell a story of relentless production that no one can ignore. This season, his milestones may be less about climbing higher and more about setting records so far out of reach that they become mythical.

Chris Paul, entering what could be his final season, is also worth monitoring. Already one of the greatest point guards in history, he is close to passing Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson on the all-time assists list. Every game he plays serves as both a farewell tour and a reminder of his unmatched vision. Should he crack the top three in assists, his career would close with statistical proof of what many already believe: that he is one of the best floor generals the game has ever seen.

What makes this season’s milestone chase so captivating is the convergence of eras. Legends like LeBron, Curry, and Durant are still producing at high levels, while stars like Giannis, Jokić, and Dončić are in their primes, and younger players like Edwards are emerging as the faces of the future. The stat sheet, in this sense, is more than a ledger of numbers; it is a canvas capturing the overlap of generations. Each game has the potential to deliver a moment where history is not only made but passed from one superstar to the next.

As the 2025–26 season unfolds, fans will watch the standings and playoff races with great intensity, but the milestone hunts will provide another layer of excitement. LeBron pushing the scoring record ever higher, Curry chasing 4,000 threes, Durant climbing the ladder of all-time scorers, Jokić reshaping what a center can do, and Dončić and Edwards blazing through the record books at breakneck speed — each of these pursuits offers a reason to tune in night after night. The NBA’s stat sheet will not just be filled this season; it will be conquered.