Published 14:39 IST, December 20th 2019
LeBron James passes Gary Payton to occupy 9th spot on NBA's all-time assists list
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James passed Gary Payton to occupy the sole possession on the NBA's all-time assist list during the Lakers vs Bucks game.
Los Angeles Lakers' star LeBron James is now ninth on the NBA's all-time assists list. James passed Gary Payton to move ahead on the list with 8967th assist during the Lakers vs Bucks game on Thursday night (Friday morning IST). According to NBA stats, James is now the only NBA player to rank in top 10 for both career points and career assists all-time lists. If James continues playing consistently for the rest of the season, he will move ahead to the third spot in NBA's all-time assists list. The LA Lakers lost the Lakers vs Bucks game 111-104. James finished with 21 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds.
NBA 2019-20: Lakers' LeBron James passes Gary Payton for 9th on NBA's all-time assist list
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Gary Payton had reached the third spot after playing 17 NBA seasons. NBA 2019-20, which is James' 17th NBA season, has been his best in terms of passing. He is averaging a career-high of 10.6 assists along with 25.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Throughout his career, James has never averaged with a double-double over a complete NBA season. James is in contention for this season's NBA MVP award along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, James harden and Anthony Davis.
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Updated 16:58 IST, December 20th 2019