NBA All-Star Game Leaders: LeBron James Is In 5 Of 7 Categories

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game was widely criticized once again by fans as the lack of competitiveness fell to new lows. The East beat the West 211-186, making history as the first team to score over 200 points in any NBA-sanctioned game. The All-Star game also saw a record-high 186 three-pointers attempted, showing the direction in which the game is headed now.

The performances have greatly boosted the NBA's all-time All-Star statistics, which LeBron James is already one of the kings of. James leads two categories outright and features in the top six of three others. Players like Kevin Durant have also added some big numbers to solidify their positions on all-time All-Star lists as well, which feature legends of the game like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. 

Appearances

1. LeBron James - 20

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 18 

3. Kobe Bryant - 18

T4. Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal - 15

T5. Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone - 14

LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to tally 20 All-Star appearances with his inclusion in the 2024 All-Star Game. He had already surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in second place last season and has added another one to extend his lead. He likely will make a few more appearances, so there's no telling where he could end up. Kevin Durant broke into the top five by making his 14th appearance, joining a previously three-way tie by Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Karl Malone for the fifth spot.

Points

1. LeBron James - 434 Points

2. Kobe Bryant - 290 Points

3. Kevin Durant - 268 Points

4. Michael Jordan - 262 Points

5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 251 Points

6. Oscar Robertson - 246 Points

This year's All-Star game moved the needle significantly when it comes to the all-time scorers list. LeBron extended his mammoth lead at No. 1 with his 8 points, while KD jumped from No. 5 to No. 3 with his 18-point night. Stephen Curry jumped five spots from 16 to 11 on this list, with Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo also climbing up the top 25. Damian Lillard was the biggest gainer, entering the game as No. 46 all-time with 117 points and ending the night as No. 24 all-time with 156 points after his 39-point showing.

Rebounds 

1. Wilt Chamberlain - 197 Rebounds

2. Bob Pettit - 178 Rebounds

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 149 Rebounds

4. Bill Russell - 139 Rebounds

5. Tim Duncan - 136 Rebounds

6. LeBron James - 114 Rebounds

The rebounding records in the NBA may never be broken due to the incredible proficiency of previous-generation big men who didn't share the responsibility with high-volume guards and wings. As a result, the top five of the list features exclusive big men until LeBron's appearance at No. 6. Given he's played 20 All-Star Games, his 114 rebounds give him a mediocre rebound average of 5.7. The next active player anywhere close on this list is Kevin Durant at No. 24 with 67 rebounds in 14 selections but 10 appearances, giving him a higher RPG than LeBron.

Assists

1. Chris Paul - 128 Assists

2. Magic Johnson - 127 Assists

3. LeBron James - 113 Assists

4. Isiah Thomas - 97 Assists

5. Bob Cousy - 86 Assists

6. Oscar Robertson - 81 Assists

The status of best dimer in All-Star game history rests with Chris Paul, who averaged over 10 assists per game in his 11 appearances to become the all-time leader. There is no better lob thrower than Paul, which is a staple of the All-Star game. Magic Johnson and LeBron trail Paul, with CP3 narrowly beating out Magic. James may have more All-Star games in him, but it's unlikely we see him drop 14 more assists in his remaining games to overthrow Paul from the top spot. Kyrie Irving wasn't voted into this year's game but is behind Robertson by just two assists. 

Blocks

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 31 Blocks

2. Hakeem Olajuwon - 23 Blocks

3. Shaquille O'Neal - 19 Blocks

4. Patrick Ewing - 16 Blocks

5. David Robinson - 13 Blocks

6. Kevin McHale - 12 Blocks

With the worsening defense in the NBA All-Star games, it's no surprise that no active players rank in the top 10 of this list. LeBron is the closest to making an appearance at No. 12, but it's highly unlikely he'll climb up this list at this point in his career. Kareem may have lost the all-time scoring record to LeBron, but his status as an all-time shot blocker in the ASG is safe, at least until Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren become perennial All-Stars and bring back rim protection to the modern game.

Steals

1. Michael Jordan - 37 Steals

2. Kobe Bryant - 36 Steals

3. Isiah Thomas - 31 Steals

4. Dwyane Wade - 27 Steals

5. Chris Paul - 26 Steals

6. Jason Kidd - 24 Steals

Steals aren't usually a point of emphasis in the All-Star game, as players don't play the same aggressive defense they do in normal games. That's a more recent phenomenon, as displayed by the all-time All-Star steals list which is led by Michael Jordan, with Kobe Bryant falling short of the top spot by one steals. Both players averaged over 2 steals per game in their All-Star appearances. LeBron may enter the top six of this list as well, sitting at No. 8 with 22 steals.

3-Pointers Made

1. Stephen Curry - 51 Threes

2. Damian Lillard - 42 Threes

3. LeBron James - 41 Threes

4. James Harden - 39 Threes

5. Kevin Durant - 34 Threes

6. Paul George - 30 Threes

The three-pointers list is occupied by exclusively modern players, as the All-Star game has become a display of incredible shooting. Stephen Curry broke the NBA record for single-game threes in the All-Star game in 2022 with 16 threes. Steph added more to his tally tonight, but Damian Lillard made the biggest jump. He went from fourth all-time before this game to No. 2 with 11 threes made last night. This list will change a lot in the coming seasons, as the NBA saw a new all-time high of 186 attempted threes in 2024, a number that will inflate three-point stats for the next generation.