LeBron James has made history once again, becoming the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 career points.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar reached the milestone on Tuesday during a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, further solidifying his status as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Heading into the game, the 40-year-old icon needed just one point to reach the historic mark, having amassed 49,999 career points following a 17-point performance in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
It didn’t take long for James to achieve the feat, as he received a pass from Luka Doncic and effortlessly drained a 25-foot three-pointer. The shot sent the Crypto.com Arena crowd into a frenzy, as they witnessed yet another incredible achievement in James’ legendary career.
Now in his 22nd season, LeBron James continues to defy expectations with his exceptional form and longevity.
James had passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous all-time regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points in 2023 — itself a record that had stood for 39 years. James is now nearly 6,000 points clear of Abdul-Jabbar’s total career points tally of 44,149, with Karl Malone third (41,689 points) and the late Kobe Bryant fourth with 39,283 points. Michael Jordan is fifth on the all-time scoring list with 38,279.
Among active NBA players, only Kevin Durant with just over 35,000 points — roughly 15,000 points behind James — makes the top 10.
Lakers legend Earvin Magic Johnson led the tributes to James’ achievement.
“Congratulations to the King LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points!,” Johnson wrote on X.
James’ scoring milestone on Tuesday came hours after he clinched another NBA record after being named as Western Conference Player of the Month for February — making him the oldest player to win a player of the month award.
James was instrumental in leading the Lakers to a 10-2 record in February, averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
James’ form has propelled the Lakers on a six-game winning streak, with the team climbing into second place in the Western Conference standings as they chase a first NBA championship since the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season.
