Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 reasons LeBron James should re-sign

5. Stats

If there is one thing that even LeBron’s loudest critics cannot honestly disregard, it is his collection of statistical achievements.

LeBron has a chance to catch and eventually pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer. He is about to become the only player in NBA history to crack the all-time top 10 in points and assists, and he could realistically finish his career in the top five in both categories.

He already ranks No. 1 all-time in postseason points, No. 3 in assists, and No. 6 in rebounds.

This past season, LeBron averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and a career-best 9.1 assists per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, he went for 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists a night.

One reason LeBron continues to put up such impressive numbers 15 years into his pro career is that he’s great. Another reason is that — given the way the Cavaliers have been constructed — he has to do that much simply for his team to compete.

Going to the star-studded Houston Rockets or teaming up with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in Los Angeles would increase LeBron’s chances of winning another championship or two. But it could also mean his stats take a dip as he shoulders less responsibility to be a team’s do-it-all workhorse.

If LeBron has his sights set on breaking Kareem’s record or chasing the all-time top-five in points and assists, the fastest way for him to do that would be on a team that requires him to do a lot. Cleveland has been and can continue to be that team.