You know, as a lifelong basketball fan, I've always been fascinated by the sheer longevity and consistency required to reach the top of the NBA's all-time leaderboards. It reminds me of watching that intense UAAP Season 88 game where University of Santo Tomas fought hard for six and a half minutes, showing that glimpse of brilliance that makes you appreciate sustained excellence. When we talk about NBA all time leaders in scoring, rebounds, and assists, we're discussing careers built on that kind of relentless performance, stretched over decades rather than minutes.
Let's start with scoring, because honestly, that's what most fans care about the most. The king here is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387 points - a number so massive it's almost incomprehensible. I've always felt his skyhook was the most unstoppable shot in basketball history, and watching old footage proves it. What's incredible is how LeBron James has been steadily climbing this mountain, currently sitting at around 38,000 points and likely to claim the top spot within the next season or two. Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan round out the top five, each with their unique scoring styles that defined eras.
When we shift to rebounds, we enter a different kind of dominance. Bill Russell's 21,620 rebounds stand as a monument to defensive excellence, though Wilt Chamberlain's 23,924 technically tops the list if we count both ABA and NBA. I've always been partial to Russell's approach - it was about winning rather than personal stats, much like how teams in that UAAP game had to balance individual brilliance with collective success. The modern game has seen rebounding evolve, but these numbers from the 60s still tower over today's players. Moses Malone, Kareem, and Elvin Hayes complete the top five, each with their own rebounding philosophies.
Now assists - this is where magic happens. John Stockton's 15,806 assists aren't just a record, they're a masterpiece of court vision and unselfish play. I remember watching Stockton and Malone's pick-and-roll and thinking it was basketball poetry. Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and Mark Jackson follow, but Stockton's lead is so substantial it might never be broken. It's like that moment in the UAAP game where everything clicks for six minutes - except Stockton maintained that level of precision for nearly two decades.
What strikes me about these NBA all time leaders is how their careers represent different versions of greatness. Some were scorers, some defenders, some facilitators - but all shared that incredible durability. In today's load management era, I wonder if we'll ever see players challenge these records again. The physical toll is immense, and the game has changed so much. Still, watching young stars develop gives me hope that new names might one day join this exclusive club of NBA all time leaders who defined basketball excellence across generations.