Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James primed to break Kareem's record at home

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 63 percent of his record 38,387 points in a Lakers uniform. Now LeBron James is poised to break that record in the Lakers' home arena.

James scored 27 points on 10-22 shooting in a road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, bringing his career total to 38,352 points. His final points came on a layup with 12 seconds to do, with the Lakers trailing by seven.

Now the Lakers return home to the Crypto.com Arena where James has two shots to break the record at home. Tuesday, they host the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Thursday they'll face Abdul-Jabbar's first team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Both games will be broadcast on TNT.

Will James break it on Tuesday? He's scored 36 or more points in nine of his 43 games this season, so statistically, that's a 20.9 percent chance of breaking it Tuesday.

James' lowest point total in consecutive games is 37, which happened Nov. 2 and Nov. 4 in L.A. James has turned it up since then, especially since turning 38 on December 30. Since then, he's averaging 34.1 points on 51.9 percent shooting.

If you're into conspiracy theories, you might expect James to intentionally just miss catching Kareem on Tuesday, for the benefit of ticket sales, TV ratings, and two extra days of LeBron retrospectives. You'll know the fix is in if the NBA assigns Scott Foster to Tuesday's game.

Within the week, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will no longer be the NBA's all-time scoring leader. The only thing still in doubt is what day it happens.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Jimmy Butler's agent responds to Heat president's criticism of star client
Nuggets melt down under Timberwolves' pressure to go down 0-2
Watch: Knicks' Donte DiVincenzo makes, absorbs big shot to win Game 1
Bruins take series opener over Panthers in 5-1 rout
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama unanimously wins NBA Rookie of the Year award
Phillies remain MLB's hottest team with dominant Zack Wheeler performance
Heat president Pat Riley calls out Jimmy Butler twice following playoff exit
Brooks Koepka sets up epic clash with Scottie Scheffler at PGA Championship
How Tom Brady's investment in English soccer team cratered
Week 12 NASCAR power rankings: Kyle Larson distances himself with historic win
Ex-GM confident 49ers can avoid breaking the bank on Brock Purdy extension
Five most surprising breakout players in this MLB season
The most exciting offseason addition for every NFL team
Bengals exec declines Patriots interview for de facto GM job
Snoop Dogg to be title sponsor of college football bowl game
A's place struggling starter on injured list
Longtime Saints OL, three-time Pro Bowler agrees to deal with AFC West team
Report: 10-time All-Star 'wants to re-sign' with Clippers
Kendrick Perkins 'wishes' LeBron James would make drastic career decision
Snoop Dogg makes big college football announcement

Want more Lakers news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.