12,092 assists. That’s the stat that made LeBron James the third-highest-ranking player on the NBA’s all-time assists list. Interestingly, James has also been absent for only three games so far this season, trying to make sure he doesn’t get gravely injured.
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James has been managing lower back and sciatica pain, so the 76ers have limited him to single games and avoided back-to-backs. As a result, his performance has been somewhat consistent so far. The 41-year-old surpassed Jason Kidd after getting 11 assists in the 76ers’ 131-124 win against the Pacers.
LeBron is on many lists. He’s the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, has the most regular-season minutes played at over 60,000, and was the first player in history to reach 40,000 regular-season points. Having the third-most assists shows that he’s more than just an individual high-volume scorer.
“It means I had a lot of great teammates. You got to have teammates that can put the ball in the hole,” he said, speaking of his new achievement. “So I think my job is just try to put it on time, on target, lead them to the hole, either from, you know, layups, dunks, threes, mid-range, whatever the case may be.”
“So anytime I’m in any list in NBA history, I love the history of the game. I love the players that came before me. It’s super honourable,” he further added.
Only two players are ahead of James now. They are Chris Paul with 12,552 assists, and John Stockton with a staggering 15,806 all-time assists in the NBA. While this is just another achievement in James’ vast collection, there’s a greater issue worth mulling over.
The Philadelphia 76ers are set to go up against the Brooklyn Nets right after the win against the Pacers. The team has been careful with James’ minutes and his appearances. He was even seen falling to the ground after contact to his face during a recent game against the Celtics.
His health, therefore, is likely the 76ers’ greatest concern. The same can be said for fellow veteran Joel Embiid, who did not play against the Indiana Pacers. Embiid is currently out due to a right foot plantar fascia injury that needs to be managed before the team hits the road.
The 76ers will continue to rest James on back-to-backs, a trade-off between preserving his health and chasing another record. His age, however, does not overshadow his brilliant achievement.
He is currently 460 assists behind Chris Paul. James recorded 432 total assists last season with the Lakers, averaging 7.2 per game. So he can climb to No. 2 by the end of the season. That is, if he plays more than the 60 games he played in 2025-26 and maintains a similar assist output.
LeBron scored 15 points in the win against Indiana, which is close to his average, shooting five-for-eight from the field and five-for-six from the FT line. His luck wasn’t great with his two attempted three-pointers, since he didn’t make either of them.
His current state can be seen as him shifting towards a more support-centric role as opposed to being a dominant scorer for the team. Major scorers like Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey may take center stage, with James climbing that assists ladder game after game.