2025-26 NBA Season: A Year Full of Milestones and Records
The 2025-26 NBA season promises to be historic, starting on October 21st. A year full of emerging stars, memorable moments, and records to be broken is anticipated. The league is preparing for its 80th season, and several key figures are about to achieve significant milestones.
Veterans like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic have the opportunity to climb the statistical leaderboards and cement their names in NBA history. What other incredible achievements should we keep in mind this season and how close are these superstars to achieving them? Alofoke Deportes tells you.
We analyze the statistical milestones to follow in the 2025-26 season, where some stars will consolidate their position in the record books and others will join the elite top 10.LeBron James is about to start his 23rd season in the NBA, making him the player with the most seasons played in the league, surpassing Vince Carter’s 22 seasons. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LeBron James: In Search of New Heights
In December 2024, James became the first NBA player to play both as a teenager and at 40 years old. In addition, alongside his son Bronny, they formed the first father-son duo to play together in the league, after Bronny was selected in the 2024 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, LeBron, historical leader in points, will seek to raise the standard even further.
In 2023, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer, and this season he could surpass Abdul-Jabbar in field goals made as well. James is 350 field goals away from Abdul-Jabbar’s record (15,837), and “The King”, who has scored at least 400 field goals each season (651 in 2024-25), will likely surpass the Lakers legend once again.
As he begins his 23rd season, James will surpass Vince Carter on the list of seasons played. If he stays healthy, he is only 50 games away from surpassing Robert Parish on the list of regular season games played in NBA history. James could also surpass Reggie Miller for sixth place on the list of three-pointers made at the start of the 2025-26 season, when the Lakers face the Golden State Warriors, as he is only two three-pointers away from the mark.
Rising Veterans: Climbing the Scorers’ List
Durant was one of the most prominent names in the offseason movements, after being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets in early July, in a historic seven-team deal. In his 17th season and on his fifth NBA team, Durant could be one of those who achieves the most milestones, as he is 849 points away from surpassing Wilt Chamberlain in seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. If he doesn’t suffer injuries, Durant could reach this mark, as he has surpassed 1,000 points in all seasons in which he has played more than 35 games.
Durant’s former teammate on the Oklahoma City Thunder, James Harden, could also move up the scoring list. “The Beard” is only 603 points away from surpassing Carmelo Anthony in tenth place and 910 from surpassing Shaquille O’Neal in ninth. Harden has scored at least 910 points in every season of his career, except for his rookie year, and doubled that mark last season, playing on one of the league’s most veteran teams, the LA Clippers.
Leaders in Assists: Seeking New Records
Harden has a longer road to travel in the assists category, as he is 746 away from moving up the historical list, where he currently holds the 13th position. He will have to surpass Andre Miller (8,524), Gary Payton (8,966), and Isiah Thomas (9,061) to reach the top 10, and he has only reached the 746 assists mark in a single season twice in his career. It seems more likely that he can move up to 12th place, surpassing Miller, this season.
Harden’s former teammate, Russell Westbrook, currently ranks eighth on the all-time list (9,925) and could become the eighth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 assists this season. If he finds a team this season, Westbrook can also move up this list, surpassing Magic Johnson, Mark Jackson, and Steve Nash in fifth place. He is only 411 assists away from joining Chris Paul and LeBron James in the top 5; he had 457 total assists last season with the Nuggets.
However, Westbrook will have a moving target, as James will also advance on the all-time assists list. He is only 508 assists away from surpassing Jason Kidd for third place and has reached that mark in each of the last two seasons, so he is expected to reach that milestone this season if James avoids injuries.
From Long Distance: Triple Masters
Stephen Curry should continue to shine in his 17th season with the Warriors. Curry is 292 three-pointers (regular season and playoffs combined) away from becoming the first player with 5,000 three-pointers. However, we may not see this mark until later in the season, as he scored 311 three-pointers in the regular season alone last season and 357 the season before.Stephen Curry, on the right, is the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made. His former teammate Klay Thompson, on the left, could move up the historical list this season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Curry’s former “Splash Brother,” Klay Thompson, is 108 three-pointers away from surpassing Damian Lillard for fourth place on the all-time three-pointers list. With Lillard out for the season, Thompson will likely reach this mark if he stays healthy, as he scored 216 three-pointers in his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks. He could move up to third place, but he would need 277 three-pointers to surpass Ray Allen in that distinction, a mark he only reached once in his career (2022-23).
The health of Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers is also a big unknown this season. George, who is now starting his 16th season, is 102 three-pointers away from surpassing Kyle Korver for eighth place on the all-time list. In his last season with the Clippers, when he was completely healthy, he scored 243 three-pointers during the regular season and could do it again if he manages to stay on the court.
Triple-Double Conquerors
Last season, three-time MVP Jokic set an NBA record by recording the league’s first 30-20-20 triple-double, in addition to leading the league with 34 total triple-doubles on the season. This season, the Nuggets’ triple-double master is only 18 away from surpassing Oscar Robertson (181) for second place in NBA history, behind Russell Westbrook (203). As the Nuggets try to maximize their championship window, it’s not far-fetched for Jokic to reach that mark and become the second player in NBA history to reach 200.Last season, Nikola Jokic, on the left, had a game of 30 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds, the first 30-20-20 triple-double in NBA history. Luka Doncic is close to 100 career triple-doubles. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)Lakers superstar Luka Doncic can also continue his rise up the list. Doncic is 18 triple-doubles away from becoming the seventh player with 100 career triple-doubles. Doncic, 26, is also 26 triple-doubles away from surpassing his former Mavericks coach Jason Kidd for sixth on the all-time list.
Let History Speak
Recognitions don’t usually come in the form of records, but two veteran coaches, Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle, can make history this season on the all-time wins list. Rivers, who is starting his 26th season as an NBA coach, is only 14 wins away from surpassing George Karl for sixth place on the list. However, after the Milwaukee Bucks traded Damian Lillard back to the Portland Trail Blazers, while the team seeks to maximize its championship window with Giannis Antetokounmpo, it’s not clear how this season might unfold. If the Bucks achieve an outstanding performance, Rivers is 49 wins away from surpassing Pat Riley for fifth place and 60 wins away from surpassing Jerry Sloan for fourth.
Carlisle, fresh off an appearance in the Finals, is now 50 wins away from surpassing Rick Adelman to reach the top 10 club on the all-time list.
