With LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s NBA all-time scoring record, let’s consider how many more total points Michael Jordan could have potentially had if he never retired. Jordan is widely considered the greatest scorer of all time. He is the only player to average over 30 points per game for his career at 30.1ppg, but that is likely helped some by not playing the final three seasons after his 1998 retirement with would have likely dropped it below 30ppg. This is how the resume looks.
age
G
min
rpg
apg
spg
ppg
1984-85
21
CHI
82
38.3
6.5
5.9
2.4
28.2
1985-86
22
CHI
18
25.1
3.6
2.9
2.1
22.7
1986-87
23
CHI
82
40
5.2
4.6
2.9
37.1
1987-88
24
CHI
82
40.4
5.5
5.9
3.2
35
1988-89
25
CHI
81
40.2
8
8
2.9
32.5
1989-90
26
CHI
82
39
6.9
6.3
2.8
33.6
1990-91
27
CHI
82
37
6
5.5
2.7
31.5
1991-92
28
CHI
80
38.8
6.4
6.1
2.3
30.1
1992-93
29
CHI
78
39.3
6.7
5.5
2.8
32.6
1993-94
30
Did Not Play (Minor League Baseball—Birmingham Barons)
1994-95
31
CHI
17
39.3
6.9
5.3
1.8
26.9
1995-96
32
CHI
82
37.7
6.6
4.3
2.2
30.4
1996-97
33
CHI
82
37.9
5.9
4.3
1.7
29.6
1997-98
34
CHI
82
38.8
5.8
3.5
1.7
28.7
1998-99
35
Did Not Play (retired)
1999-00
36
Did Not Play (retired)
2000-01
37
Did Not Play (retired)
2001-02
38
WAS
60
34.9
5.7
5.2
1.4
22.9
2002-03
39
WAS
82
37
6.1
3.8
1.5
20
In 15 seasons Jordan would score
32,292 total points
When Michael Jordan came back at age 38 from retirement for the 2nd time after three years with the Wizards, he had a very strong start to the season. Jordan was averaging 25.6ppg, 6.3rpg, 5.4apg, and the Wizards were 26-21 and had won 7 straight before he tore his meniscus and played on with it taking his statistics. Even as 3 years removed from his last title with the Bulls and a somewhat diminished player, he was highly effective before his knee injury.
Knowing how Jordan would do with the Wizards when healthy, and that he had a wrist injury during the regular season of the last dance. I think it’s fairly easy to trace a believable career regression individually through all of his retired seasons for such a consistent player. He was very durable, and we can connect the seasons with pretty strong confidence. This is our estimation, and I’ve highlighted those years in which we have filled in the blanks statistically.
age
G
min
rpg
apg
spg
ppg
PER
1984-85
21
CHI
82
38.3
6.5
5.9
2.4
28.2
25.8
1985-86
22
CHI
18
25.1
3.6
2.9
2.1
22.7
27.5
1986-87
23
CHI
82
40
5.2
4.6
2.9
37.1
29.8
1987-88
24
CHI
82
40.4
5.5
5.9
3.2
35
31.7
1988-89
25
CHI
81
40.2
8
8
2.9
32.5
31.1
1989-90
26
CHI
82
39
6.9
6.3
2.8
33.6
31.2
1990-91
27
CHI
82
37
6
5.5
2.7
31.5
31.6
1991-92
28
CHI
80
38.8
6.4
6.1
2.3
30.1
27.7
1992-93
29
CHI
78
39.3
6.7
5.5
2.8
32.6
29.7
1993-94
30
CHI
80
39.3
6.8
5.4
2.2
29.6
28.9
1994-95
31
CHI
82
39.3
6.9
5.3
1.8
28.9
27.2
1995-96
32
CHI
82
37.7
6.6
4.3
2.2
30.4
29.4
1996-97
33
CHI
82
37.9
5.9
4.3
1.7
29.6
27.8
1997-98
34
CHI
82
38.8
5.8
3.5
1.7
28.7
25.2
1998-99
35
CHI
50
38.5
5.7
4.3
1.6
27.8
26.2
1999-00
36
CHI
82
38
5.8
4.3
1.5
26.7
24.1
2000-01
37
CHI
82
38
5.8
4.5
1.5
25.6
23.2
2001-02
38
WAS
60
34.9
5.7
5.2
1.4
22.9
20.7
2002-03
39
WAS
82
37
6.1
3.8
1.5
20
19.3
Jordan had a great career that in many ways was still an enigma of what could have been in potentially 5 other seasons he stepped away and was still playing at a high level. I hope we have offered up some educated interpretations given the timeline he did actually play in from 1984-2003.
The tally for those years in our estimation is 9904 more points in 359 additional games. That would bring his total to 42196 in 1431 games for a 29.48 points per game average.
This would have been a very interesting number for LeBron to chase. Certainly, Jordan would have the advantage in average, but LeBron started his career a little over 2 years sooner. LeBron is also looking a lot stronger at 38 years old and capable of playing past 40 and has expressed interest in doing so. I still believe. Certainly, if this was the number and Jordan had the record he was chasing he would be motivated to keep playing no matter how long it took to beat it IMO. The real issue is whether would be healthy and get in enough games. The last few years health has become more of an issue. He’s also sitting out more games for load management. Given the recent seasons, I still believe he would break the record easily. Even if he averaged just 70 games a season at 25ppg for his age 39 and 40 seasons he breaks the record.
