LeBron James made history on Tuesday, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 career points. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar hit the milestone during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, further extending his record as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Entering the game with 49,999 total points from both regular and postseason play, James needed just one more point to reach the 50,000 mark after scoring 17 points in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
It didn’t take long for the 40-year-old NBA icon to hit that point. After receiving a pass from Luka Dončić, James nailed a flawless 25-foot three-pointer, bringing his total to 50,002 points and eliciting a loud roar from the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena.
James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points in 2023, a record that had stood for 39 years. Now, with nearly 6,000 more points, James has a career total of 44,149 points, further solidifying his place at the top of the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Karl Malone holds third place with 41,689 points, followed by the late Kobe Bryant with 39,283 points, and Michael Jordan with 38,279 points. Among active players, only Kevin Durant, with just over 35,000 points, ranks in the top 10, trailing James by roughly 15,000 points.
