LeBron James on Brink of Scoring Title and All-Star Reserve Picks with Mark Medina

Sarah talks with NBA.com Senior writer Mark Medina about LeBron James approaching Kareem's NBA scoring record and moving into 4th all-time in assists passing Mark Jackson and Steve Nash. We also get Mark's picks for All-Star reserves from both the East and West. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome into NBA Pulse, a production of I Heart Radio
and the NBA. I'm Syracustack, NBA analyst for the S Network,
and today is February first, Wednesday, and from our fabulous
core group of NBA dot com writers, I am joined
by Mark Medina. Mark, it is tremendous to have you
back on. Uh. We get a lot to get into.

(00:27):
We're we're gonna talk about the All Star reserves a
little later on in the show um which will be
announced tomorrow on Thursday on t nt S inside the NBA.
But first let's get into Lebron. I know you see
him all the time. I know you've been tracking him.
Of course, the tracking that we have been on is
is his chase for Kareem's all time scoring record. But

(00:48):
last night, a big win at New York at the
garden Um in overtime against the New York Knicks, Lebron
has his first trip double the season that included eleven assists,
and with that he moved to fourth um and old
time assists, past Steve Nash who was fourth, yet past

(01:10):
Mark Jackson as well, who was fifth UM. With all
of that, we're talking about points, talking about scoring That's
obviously just a part of what Lebron is with his game,
getting to assist specifically the rono was behind the back
with it drives in with the man's chair. Not just
throughout the course of his career, but when you watch him,

(01:32):
watch the way he facilitates what has stood out to
you most about that aspect of his game, Yeah, it's amazing.
I mean, Lebron James does so many great things on
the court, but what he's most known for is making
the right pass. And you know, I think what makes
him distinguishable is, you know, he has the mindset, first
off of it's always about finding the person for the

(01:53):
open look. I mean, I remember talking to him a
few years ago and he was saying that this really
traces back in his first recly BA basketball team with
the Summit Lake Community Center Hornets shout out to U
coach Frank Walker, who had told him that it's a
much greater reward seeing some of your teammates that can't
dribble or can't score over themselves for you to get

(02:16):
them an open look. And he has said that since then.
You know, since playing an Acorn at St. Vincent High
School and then playing the NBA. It's been about that mindset,
and I think it was very fitting as we're talking about,
you know, him climbing up to surpass Kareem Abdul Jabbar
for number one all time and the all time scoring
less just eighty nine points away, that he's still making

(02:38):
history with other records, with eclipsing Steve Nash and Mark
Jackson for fourth place on the all time asisilist and
I think specifically with the all time asisilis um, there's
an expectation that he's not done yet. I don't think
anyone thinks that he's gonna be John Stockton because that's
a lot of separation. Stockton has fifteen thousand, eight hundred
six assists. Lebron currently has ten thousand, three d and

(03:00):
thirty eight. But I did a story a few years
ago with USA Today about just his trajectory, and I
talked with Jason Kidd at the time. He's a Lakers
assistant coach now with the Dallas Mavericks. He's number two
on the list, and he predicted at some point Lebron
would surpass him for number two. Chris Paul's at number three.
I talked with him as well, and he predicted that

(03:20):
Lebron would either you know, eclipse Jason or eclipse himself.
And so yeah, he's he's got some basketball left to
keep climbing that chart. Do you think there's any you
mentioned that his friend Chris Paul, who you know he's
close with, What do you think the dynamic is like
for that? And do you think there's any extra I

(03:41):
don't know, satisfaction is the right word. But but someone,
um you can mention Jason Kidd as well. Obviously Lebron
and he were teammates um throughout the course of their
Olympic days. In Jason Kidd is an assistant with the Lakers,
um uh, coaching Lebron with that championship win that they had.
But but with Chris Paul, what do you what do
you think that's like between the two of those guys. Yeah, well, look,

(04:03):
I know that Lebron James is really competitive. I know
that Chris Paul is competitive. But for what it's worth,
Lebron has been adamant that when you know, there among
the banana boat buddies are just talking and and all
that that they've never brought up individual accomplishments are bragged about.
You know that Lebron has championships and CP hasn't. He

(04:23):
said it's about a friendship, but no doubt I would uh,
I would suspect that that record means a lot. And
as much as Chris Paul would be happy for Lebron
for sat milestone, I think secretly he he'd obviously wish
that he was higher. I know that Chris Paul has
told me over the years that it was his goal
enter in the league to beat John Stockton's record, and

(04:44):
he conceded it's just not in the cards because the
separations so long, and Chris, as brilliant as he's been
as a player, he had suffered different injuries throughout his career. UM,
So yeah, I don't think that there will be any
explicit trash talking, lots of love, but knowing their competitive drive,
I'm sure that you know one man satisfaction will be

(05:05):
at the expense of another. It is all impressive. It's
all impressive, and we have been lucky to continue to
watch all of it. Back though, to Lebron, the scoring
record you mentioned at eighty nine points away. UM. The
Lakers will play at New Orleans on February four. They
will play then two games at home in l A

(05:26):
against Oklahoma City on the seventh, against Milwaukee on the ninth,
and then they head to Golden State UM on the eleven.
When you start to track this, you know, kind of
put down the numbers where he's at Lebron been averaging
over thirty points per game, but it seems like much
more than that is of late where do you kind
of look in pinpoint that this may be the game

(05:46):
and this may be the right time or or the
good setting UM that would make that moment, make that
memory um at its peak. Yeah, well it just seems
too poetic and too perfect. But the numbers just that
Lebron James will surpass Kareem Abdul Jabbar for the all
time scoring list when they play the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday,

(06:07):
February nine, and that's I think going to bring a
lot of things full circle wanted in l A. So
the Laker fans can't enjoy that milestone. Kareem obviously played
for Milwaukee at the begame of his career before eventually
requesting a trade that brought him to the Lakers. Obviously,
the Milwaukee Bucks are one of the powerhouses in the
Eastern Conference, and there's always been some competitiveness between Lebron

(06:29):
and Janis not to takompo, partly because the m v
P race, partly because there are two really great players, um,
and so I think it's telling. On one hand, Lebron
James has said in the past, look like the the
main goal is obviously to try to help the Lakers
win games, and they've needed them sorely because they're so
far below in the standing and trying to scratch and

(06:52):
claw their way into a play in spot or maybe
even a playoff contention spot. But he did concede the
fact in recent weeks that it would mean a lot
more if he was able to do this milestone in
l A. I know that from reading the writeups from
some of the Laker beat writers after the Laker game
against the Knicks in which they prevailed in overtime. He

(07:12):
was talking the locker room doing number crunching, just like
we're doing number crunching of when he's most likely gonna
get the milestone. And apparently his mother, Gloria, was planning
to have a week long trip to the Mohammas, and
so he called. Lebron called his mom and told her, hey,
you need to make uh, some some change in your
itinerary so you can see this game. So my hunch

(07:34):
hash if she hasn't already done, so, she will book
a plane ticket out west in l a To to
see Lebron make history once again. The Bahamas will always
be there and LA is now a bad plastic place
to be. Last thing mark before we take a break,
you mentioned the Lakers scratching and clawing. It's thisce eving
though they're sitting in thirteenth place, but they're just three

(07:58):
games back a fifth place Golden State. There are only
four games back of fourth place, fourth place. Uh, the
Los Angeles Clippers, they're still it's so bunched up in
the middle of the West. With some runway. You get
Anthony Davis back, What are the you get the trade
deadline coming up, which you know a lot of speculation
of what could happen across the league. What are the

(08:21):
odds that you think the Lakers end up in wind
up um with a playoff positioning when all of a
sudden done. Yeah, Well, everything's so fluid, and I think
that the same things through almost the first half of
the season are going to prevail for the second half
of the season where the Lakers are typical of any
team that's been Barelior below five. Every game is winnable,

(08:43):
but also every game is losable. Every game can come
down to final possessions, and then it's just a matter of,
uh can they make plays and avoid uh costly mistakes.
Lately before the Lakers game against the next they're on
the losing side of that where they would come up
close or competitiveness is never in question, but uh you
uh yeah, they would make some uh you know, make

(09:06):
make some bad choices or they would you know, obviously
leave themselves vulnerable to uh calls that may not go
their way. And you know, I think it's the old
adage that Doc Rivers has said over the years that
you know, a good team never leaves the game's outcome
in the hands of the whistles because it's always contested,
it's always competitive. There's the human side of that, and

(09:28):
so you want to leave yourself cushion that you know
you're controlling the outcome, right um. And so with the Lakers,
I think that you know, you never want to beat
against Lebron, but especially with what he's shown even in
his twentieth season. But the record is what it is
the place. There is an avenue for them to get

(09:48):
to the playned tournament, but it's gonna hinge on them
making sure that they make up ground and having significant
winning streaks as well as the teams in front of
them losing. If I had to predict, I don't think
that they make a playoff spot one through six because
that's just a lot of games that they would have
to make up ground. But I could see them being
a playing team without that home court advantage that would

(10:10):
require them to win two games to make the playoffs.
But if you have a healthy Lebron James Anthony Davis,
you certainly have a shot. But I think the disconcerting
part about the Lakers is that's always an unknown. When
they're healthy, you know that they're going to play well,
but you just haven't known when either player, most notably

(10:32):
Anthony Davis, will be available. But since he's just come
off of that prolonged injury, there is some internal hope
that they can finally get the season back on track. Yeah,
it's gonna be fun to watch. Um And speaking of that,
another thing fun to watch and uh keep truck on
is the All Star Game February and the All Star Reserves,

(10:53):
which will be announced tomorrow. But Mark, after this break,
we're gonna hear who your picks are for the All
Star Reserves. Welcome back to n BE Paul sarahcust Dock,
joined by NBA dot Com senior writer Mark mcdina and
Mark fun Time a year for some of us to

(11:15):
watch and for others to have to crunch the numbers
and make tough, tough decisions. You being one of those
voters for the All Star the All Star Game, of course,
the All Star starters, UM, we're already announced and fans
make up fifty of that vote. Media players and in
the West it's Lebron James as captain, Steph Curry, Luca

(11:37):
don Chech, Nicola Yokich, and Zion Williamson. In the East,
Jana Sadeta Koumpo is a captain of that team along
with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell.
So now the tough part the All Star Reserves, of
which uh the NBA coaches will select remaining seven um
from each conference, two guards, three front court players to

(11:59):
while cards on each team. So I am curious your
thoughts let's start in the Eastern Conference and of course
these will be announced tomorrow on T and t UH
inside the inside the NBA UM Eastern Conference. Who who
would you pick for those seven other players um to
join the Eastern Conference All Star Team. Yeah, with both

(12:22):
the East and the West, it was it started off easy,
then start off difficult. So with the East, I'll start
off with the easy choices. You know, these players were
ones that had a case to be starters, so they're
certainly going to get in as reserves. That's Joel Empte
from this Philadelphia seventy sixers, Joye and Brown with the
Boston Celtics, so they're definitely showings. UM. I put James

(12:43):
Harden in as well with the Philadelphia seventies sixers, even
though he missed sixteen games with injuries the Sixers have
done on a tear recently. He is uh, you know,
still doing his thing as being a really great playmaker
and complimenting Joel and Pete well. And then after that,
there's just a lot of gray area because historically coaches
do like to reward players that are on winning teams.

(13:05):
But I know that there are some coaches that don't
want to discount a player's really terrific performance and almost
using the inverse principle of the theory of okay, if
we remove that player, how much worse would that team be?
And so I think with that, I look at guys
like bam ade Bio, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam.

(13:27):
I think with bam you know, he's been I think
still in the conversation for making All Defensive First Team,
maybe even d P O Y. He's had an expanded
scoring role both when Jimmy Butler has been in and
out the lineup um and then Jalen Brunson. I mean
he has been I feel good story with the Knicks.
There's all this talk, Hey, does he deserve that Max contract?

(13:48):
He certainly does, and he's been a great leader with
the Knicks, and they've been on a tear lately. The
last two candidates were really tough because Pascal Siakum and
Tyrese Hallieburn they're having brilliant seasons, but their teams aren't

(14:09):
necessarily among the playoff contenders. But I didn't want to
discount how amazing they've played, uh individually, And I also
want to keep in mind that again that theory, if
you remove those players, the Toronto Raptors would be in substantial,
even worse position if Pascal Siakam wasn't available Tyres hallieburtn.
Same thing with Indiana. When he's been out, the Pacers

(14:31):
have really struggled. When he's been on the floor, they
basically delayed the rebuilding process and they've still been in
the mix. So yeah, tough decisions all across the board.
But um, I'll stand with those books. Uh, we've been
here and so I think everyone started to kind of
give some of their picks or thoughts on, um, these

(14:52):
individuals in the reserves. Did you have any, um, any
thought on Julius Randall as opposed to Jalen Bronson. Uh,
for I don't want to say for a Knicks player,
but given how the Knicks have been playing as a
potential candidate, yeah, it's a good question. I definitely had
Julius Randall among one of the players that I was considering. Um,

(15:13):
you know, he wound up not making a cut. A
lot of it more how to do with the fact
that I thought that Jalen Brunson deserved a lot of
credit for what he's done his first season, and if
I had a rank, I mean, it's it's bad to
think this way, but when you're making choices, if I
had a rank, k who has had a bigger impact
on the Knicks as much as Julius Randall has had
a strong bounce back season compared to last season, I

(15:34):
think that Brunson has made a bigger impact. You know.
I think obviously you could have made the case that
the Knicks have too all star players, but I then
leaned back into the fact that historically, um, the teams
that have to all star representatives are teams that are
at the top of the Eastern Conference. Yeah, that's an

(15:57):
important distinction. Distinction. Okay, let's to the West. As we
mentioned Janice, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum, Donovan Mitchell.
Who would you choose as the seven others to complement
this roster? Yeah, well, I'll start with the low hanging
for just like I did with the East, the shoe
ins were again players that could have had a case

(16:17):
to be starters, and that's John Moran from the Memphis
Grizzlies Laurie Market with the Utah Jazz, Demonta Sabonis, with
the Sacramento Kings. Those players are definitely going to be
in the All Star Game. Um. And then I applied
a similar idea as far as hey the top teams
in the conference having two All Star players, So I
voted for Erin Gore with the Denver Nuggets to compliment

(16:39):
Nicola Yokich, have Daron Fox of the Sacramento Kings, presuming
that Sabonis will also be in. And I think it's
not just about checking that box. I think that Aaron
Gordon has really taken a leap as far as his
playmaking abilities, really taking the load off of Nicola Yokich
with his work on the boards. With Daron Fox, I mean,
he's been the organizer in the offense, and he's one

(17:02):
of the reasons why Sabonis really feels very comfortable in
Sacramento because Dearn Fox knows where to pass him the ball,
whether it's on post ups or picking rolls. They sometimes
uh playoff ball where Sabonis is the playmaker and Darren
Fox is trying to get looks in the posts or
on dribble handoffs. So they really complement each other well.

(17:23):
I think the last three candidates that was considering was
really tough because I only had to choose two of them.
It was between it was among Shake Gilgis Alexander from
Oklahoma City, Damian Lillard from Portland's, and Devin Booker with
the Phoenix Suns. I wind up choosing Shay Gilgas Alexander
compared to those other two players with Damian Lillard and

(17:44):
Devin Booker, because I mean, she's just posting career numbers.
Oklahoma City I think was entering the season expecting to
be in the rebuilding stage, and maybe they do after
the trade deadline if they decide to, you know, uh,
collect assets. But as of now, they've still been competitive
and he's continued to grow as a franchise player. So

(18:05):
it really came down to Damian Lillard and Devin Booker.
And what was really tough about this is that both
players missed substantial periods of time. But I think that
that also highlighted the value that those players had on
their respective organization because you know, both teams struggled without
having their star player in the lineup. But I gave
the nod to Damian Lillard simply because he's posted better

(18:28):
numbers than Devin Booker um and also while I fully
realized that the Sun's record has been a lot better
with Devin Booker than it has been with Damian Lillard,
I also took into context, uh, you know, the teams themselves.
I think from top to bottom, the Suns have a
much better roster then Portland does, and so with the

(18:49):
In this case, I wound up favoring Damien just because
of a he missed fewer games and he had some
better numbers. But it was a tough choice and I'm
agonized about well Mark, We appreciate it. We appreciate getting
you on the record on these votes that you did
not necessarily have to put in. But um, we will
be curious to see how in line you are with

(19:10):
a coach's mind and with these NBA coaches mind. But
as always, thank you so much for joining us in
your time. Thank you, Sarah, always a gamer. Appreciate it.
Uh Friday, we got Sean pal coming back to join us.
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