LeBron James further solidified his place in basketball history on Tuesday by becoming the first player to exceed 50,000 career points across both regular season and playoff games. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar extended his dominance as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, achieving a milestone that may remain unmatched for decades.
Heading into the Lakers’ matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, James needed just one point to reach the historic mark after accumulating 49,999 career points, following a 17-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It didn’t take long for the 40-year-old veteran to achieve the feat. Just moments into the game, James received a pass from Luka Dončić and calmly sank a deep three-pointer, officially surpassing the 50,000-point threshold and electrifying the Crypto.com Arena crowd.
James had already rewritten NBA history in 2023 when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points. With his latest achievement, his combined career total now stands at 50,002 points, placing him nearly 6,000 points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar’s combined total of 44,149.
All-Time Career Scoring Leaders (Regular Season + Playoffs):
1. LeBron James – 50,002 points (and counting)
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 44,149 points
3. Karl Malone– 41,689 points
4. Kobe Bryant– 39,283 points
5. Michael Jordan – 38,279 points
Among current players, only Kevin Durant, who has surpassed 35,000 points, ranks in the top 10, making it unlikely that anyone will challenge James’ record in the near future.
Basketball legends and fans worldwide celebrated James’ extraordinary milestone, with Lakers icon Magic Johnson leading the praise.
“Congratulations to the King, LeBron James, for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined regular-season and playoff points!” Johnson shared on social media.
Adding to his historic night, James also set another NBA record by becoming the oldest player ever to win the Player of the Month award. Named the Western Conference Player of the Month for February, he guided the Lakers to a dominant 10-2 record, averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists throughout the month.
James’ latest accomplishments only further cement his legacy as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
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