LeBron James made history on Tuesday, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined career points, further extending his lead as the league’s all-time leading scorer. This remarkable milestone, which includes both regular-season and postseason points, may never be surpassed.
Heading into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with 49,999 career points, James quickly secured the single point needed to break the 50,000-point barrier. In just the opening moments, the 40-year-old NBA icon received a pass from Luka Dončić and nailed a brilliant 25-foot three-pointer, marking his 50,002nd career point as the Crypto.com Arena erupted in cheers.
James had already surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points in 2023, a record that had stood for 39 years. Now, James is nearly 6,000 points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar’s total career points of 44,149, with Karl Malone in third place (41,689 points) and the late Kobe Bryant fourth with 39,283 points. Michael Jordan ranks fifth with 38,279 points.
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Among active players, only Kevin Durant, with just over 35,000 points—roughly 15,000 points behind James—sits in the top 10.
Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson led the tributes to James, writing on X: “Congratulations to the King LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points!”
Tuesday’s milestone came just hours after James earned another NBA record by being named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, making him the oldest player to ever win the award. James’ stellar performance helped the Lakers achieve a 10-2 record in February, during which he averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
James’ exceptional form has played a pivotal role in the Lakers’ current six-game winning streak, lifting the team to second place in the Western Conference standings as they aim for their first NBA championship since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
