In 2023, LeBron James achieved what many once believed was impossible by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

The legendary Los Angeles Lakers big man had recorded 38,387 regular-season points throughout his iconic career, a total that stood untouched for decades and appeared nearly impossible to eclipse.

Everything changed, however, once LeBron entered the league and established himself as one of basketball’s most dominant forces for more than 20 years.

His remarkable durability and consistency has cemented his place among the greatest players in NBA history. After overtaking Kareem in 2023, he has continued adding to his tally and now sits at 43,253 regular-season points.

Despite turning 41 years old, James continues to perform at an elite standard. Very few athletes in professional sports have maintained this level of excellence for such an extended period, and as long as he remains productive, his advantage atop the scoring list will only continue increasing.

Still, LeBron was once asked which active player he believes could eventually challenge his record, and he didn’t hesitate with his answer.

LeBron James’ Pick to Overtake His Scoring Record

Although surpassing James’ scoring mark feels highly unlikely in the near future, the former Cleveland Cavaliers superstar believes one current NBA player possesses the tools to do it.

During a conversation with ESPN, LeBron was asked who he thought had the best opportunity to become the league’s future scoring king and, as reported by AS, he selected Kevin Durant.

James explained: “KD is the first guy that comes to mind. There’s a reason they call him ‘Easy Money’ and ‘Slim Reaper.’ Scoring comes naturally to him. He can knock down threes, dominate from mid-range, finish at the basket, and he’s excellent from the free-throw line as well. Those qualities matter a lot.”

The pair developed one of the defining rivalries of the modern NBA throughout Durant’s career. During the late 2010s, they battled in several NBA Finals match-ups, with LeBron representing the Cavaliers while Durant starred for the Golden State Warriors.

KD currently ranks as the second-highest active scorer in NBA history and sits fifth on the all-time list with 32,597 regular-season points. If he stays healthy, Durant could climb even higher and may potentially move past the likes of Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone.

There is still significant ground for Durant to make up before reaching LeBron’s total, as he trails by more than 10,000 points. However, few scorers in league history possess Durant’s effortless offensive skill set, and James clearly believes the Houston Rockets forward has the talent necessary to eventually make the race interesting in the years ahead.

Manchester United are planning to sign a marquee midfielder for Michael Carrick this summer, according to The Sun.

Carrick has been appointed on a two-year permanent deal at Old Trafford, with the option of a third, after an impressive interim spell in charge.

He had 17 matches in the dugout, winning 12 times, drawing three games and losing just twice.

In that time, no other Premier League side picked up more points – with the Red Devils even earning three more points than champions Arsenal during Carrick’s interim spell.

With Casemiro leaving the club, United are in the market for a new midfielder and Carrick is set to be boosted by one marquee signing to strengthen the position.

Man Utd plan £100m midfield signing

The Sun’s Manchester United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst reports a big midfield signing will be made by the Red Devils, with any deal expected to cost around £100million.

Bruno Fernandes was used in a deeper role under previous manager Ruben Amorim but Carrick has moved the Portugal international back into a more attacking midfield position.

In defensive midfield, Kobbie Mainoo has rediscovered his form under Carrick after being a bit-part player under Amorim. However, with Casemiro’s exit, a replacement will be needed for the Brazilian.

Manuel Ugarte is not viewed as good enough to fill the void left by Casemiro. United’s preference would be to sell the player but the Red Devils accept interest in him will be low due to his poor performances, meaning he is poised to stay.

His £120,000-a-week wages also mean any interested clubs would struggle to meet the player’s demands.

The midfielders on Man Utd’s radar this summer

There are several players United are targeting as they eye a big midfield addition.

Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson is one name at the top end of their list but rivals Manchester City are firmly in the race and keen to get a deal done ahead of United.

Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali is another player of interest after an impressive few seasons in the Premier League with the Magpies following his £55million move from AC Milan.

Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid has been described as a dream target for the Old Trafford outfit but a deal for the player would be difficult to do.

Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton are also options. Baleba was keen to make the move to United last summer but Brighton were not willing to lower their asking price.

Wharton’s future at Crystal Palace is also up in the air, but it has been reported that Selhurst Park club chiefs are set to hold talks with the player.

They want to convince him to spend one more year at Palace after they won the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night and qualified for the Europa League.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni is taking as much time as possible to carefully select his squad for the 2026 World Cup. He has some massive decisions to make, and a couple of high-profile absentees have been leaked.

The reigning world champions will almost certainly take the likes of Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister to the United States, Mexico and Canada-hosted tournament. The level of talent at Scaloni’s disposal is incredible.

That’s shown by two surprising names who have reportedly missed out on a place in the 26-man squad. They join the likes of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Joao Pedro as players who were expected to go to the World Cup, but will instead have to watch on from home.

Argentina Snub Two Young Stars

The first name to be reported as missing out was new Chelsea signing Valentin Barco. The young defender left Brighton to join the Blues’ sister club Strasbourg, but is reportedly moving to Stamford Bridge this summer.

He would’ve been hoping to return to England with some World Cup experience under his belt, but German Garcia Grova os TyC Sports has reported the player’s entourage are under the impression he won’t be on the plane with Messi and Co.

“We still have some doubts that we’ll resolve in the coming days,” were Scaloni’s words when discussing the length of time he’s taking to confirm his squad list. Argentina are the last big nation to submit their 26-man roster, but the final list will be in by the end of the week.

Another man who looks very unlikely to be included is Real Madrid starlet, Franco Mastantuono. The 18-year-old is a highly exciting prospect who has played 35 senior games for Los Blancos. The main issue he may have encountered is that he likes to occupy the same spaces as Messi.

There were some concerns for his long-term fitness earlier in the season as Mastantuono suffered from publagia, an issue that also plagued Lamine Yamal and Cole Palmer. However, he has since recovered and featured in six of Real Madrid’s last seven league matches of the season. The decision is said to be purely football-related.

Concerns Over Lionel Messi’s Fitness For World Cup

Concerns across Argentina were sparked when Messi, the nation’s main talisman, was forced off early in Inter Miami’s recent 6-4 victory over Philadelphia Union. The greatest player of all time reportedly suffered muscle fatigue, just a few weeks before the World Cup kicks off.

“Obviously we would have preferred that nothing had happened,” Scaloni told Argentine TV channel DSports. “Now one has to wait and see how it evolves and above all the new tests they are going to conduct in order to see if it confirms their original diagnosis.”

While the manager was quick to play down any worries that Messi wouldn’t be fit in time for the opening game against Algeria, Inter Miami’s statement, which said ‘the timeline for his return to physical activity will depend on his clinical and functional progress,’ was less convincing.

Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 28-05-26.