Basketball legend LeBron James has made history once again, becoming the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 career points. The Los Angeles Lakers star achieved the milestone on Tuesday during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena.
James, 40, entered the game just one point shy of the landmark figure, having amassed 49,999 points across regular-season and playoff games. It didn’t take long for the four-time NBA champion to cement his place in history, as he drained a deep three-pointer off a pass from Luka Dončić, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
This achievement further solidifies James’ status as the league’s all-time leading scorer. He had previously broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points in 2023—a record that stood for nearly four decades. With this latest milestone, James now sits nearly 6,000 points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar’s combined total of 44,149 points.
Other players trailing James in all-time scoring include Karl Malone (41,689 points), the late Kobe Bryant (39,283 points), and Michael Jordan (38,279 points). Among active players, only Kevin Durant—who has just over 35,000 points—comes close, though he remains far behind James’ towering record.
Now in his 22nd NBA season, James continues to defy expectations, proving that even at 40, he remains one of the league’s most dominant forces. His latest record only adds to his legacy as one of the greatest players in basketball history.
