WIthout Three-point Shots NBA Scoring Leaders Would be Different

 The N.B.A. was forced to introduce three-point shots to the game in 1979 because the A.B.A. with a red, chite and blue basketball, Dr. J and three-point shots was becoming too popular. The introduction of three point shots changed the game and the list of career scoring leaders.

Lebron James is a great basketball player and may pass Kareem tonight in his ascent to the number one spot of career scoring leaders. Yet Oscar Robertson and John Havlicek each scored 28,000 points before 1979 and would probably be at number one and two instead of 13 and 15 respectively. All of the players career totals above then were complied in the three-point era.

N.B.A. scoring records complied after 1979 are a little like baseball records set after steroids reached American shores and became used by pro athletes; they are tainted with suspicion. In 1973 East German women won 10 of 14 medals at the World Swimming championships; it was believed the swimmers were using steroids. Steroids were banned from the Olympics in 1975.

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/03/11/steroid-timeline - notes Hitler's use of steroids and mental state consistent with heavy steroid use including suicide

Lebron James is a naturally healthy guy who might not have used steroids to promote his scoring. Havlicek and Robertson given three point shots might have scored 7000 more points and Lebron James without three-pointers about 2500 fewer. James made about 7000 points with three-points shots.

Robertson and Havlicek played guard (Havilcek was primarily a forward though). They were strong from the three point range- Kareem made just a single three point shot out of eighteen attempts so his total wouldn't have changed without three point shots, so in effect Kareem is the real scoring leader by a country miles in a scenario without three-pointers ever entering the N.B.A. If some of the value of James' threes are subtracted so a real comparison is possible he would have about 2500 fewer points.

In my opinion, if the three point shot existed in from 1960 the NBA career scoring leader would be Oscar Robertson, Lebron James, Kareem and Havlicek. If the three point shot never existed the leader would be Kareem followed by Robertson, James and Havlicek.