LeBron James added another remarkable achievement to his legendary career on Tuesday, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 136-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The future Hall of Famer made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to score a total of 50,000 career points when combining both regular-season and playoff points. He reached this milestone with a three-pointer in the first quarter, much to the delight of the home crowd at Crypto.com Arena.
To reach this historic feat, James only needed one point, having accumulated 41,837 points in the regular season (ranking first all-time) and 8,162 points in the playoffs (also first all-time), bringing his total to 49,999 points before the game.
Afterward, LeBron reflected on the accomplishment, saying, “I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat it – it’s a hell of a lot of points.” He went on to express gratitude, saying, “And I’m super blessed to be able to put that many points up in the best league in the world with the best players in the world over my career, so it’s pretty special.”
James ended the game with 34 points, bringing his career total to 50,033 points. No other player in NBA history is even close to reaching the 50,000-point mark, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holding second place with 44,149 combined points. The nearest active player is Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, who has accumulated 35,225 combined points.
In his 22nd season, LeBron James continues to be one of the top players in the game, averaging nearly 25 points, eight rebounds, and over eight assists per game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Earlier on Tuesday, the 40-year-old was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February. During that time, he averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists, making him the oldest player to ever win a Player of the Month award. This achievement extended his NBA-record total to 41 monthly honors.
James continues to defy the effects of age, maintaining an elite level of play as he nears the final stages of a career that has cemented him as one of the greatest players in basketball history. After breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular season scoring record in 2023, James has only widened his lead, becoming the first player to reach 40,000 career points later that same season.
LeBron James added another milestone to his remarkable career earlier this season when he became the first player in NBA history to share the court with his son, Bronny James, making them the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.
A four-time NBA champion and four-time Finals MVP, James has also made a record 21 All-Star appearances, adding to his long list of achievements since being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers have been on an impressive hot streak, winning 17 of their last 20 games. This surge has been fueled by James’ exceptional play and the acquisition of superstar Luka Dončić via trade in February. The Lakers are currently riding a seven-game winning streak, their longest since 2021, and after Tuesday’s victory, they’ve climbed to the second seed in the Western Conference.