LeBron First in NBA to Score 50K Combined Points

The ‘Chosen One’ stands alone on the NBA’s Mount Everest.

With his son Bronny watching in awe along with the sellout crowd at Crypto.com Arena, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs Tuesday night.

James eclipsed the mark with a 3-pointer with eight and a half minutes to go in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-115 blowout win against the New Orleans Pelicans. He reached the milestone in dramatic fashion, on his first shot attempt, knocking down a 3-pointer from the left wing off a dish from Luka Doncic to give the Lakers a seven-point lead, 13-6.

During a timeout, Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter recognized the feat, telling the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history.”

“It’s amazing,” Doncic said of James. “Watching him do this stuff at this age, it’s just unbelievable. Like, 50K points, I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K, you never know.”

James got to 49,999 points Sunday night when he scored 17 while the Lakers beat their crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers 108-102 for their sixth win in a row.

The 40-year-old James already is the top scorer in NBA history in both the regular season and the playoffs during a legendary career in which he has rewritten all previous definitions of basketball longevity.

“I’ve had the opportunity to play the game that I love, and I’ve always been true to it, so I’m going to always try to give back,” James said Tuesday night.

James reached 50,000 points deep into his 22nd season, which ties him with Hall of Famer Vince Carter for the most played in NBA history. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons, 1969-1989, is second in NBA history with 44,149 combined points.

“It’s a hell of a lot of points, 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,” James told Spectrum SportsNet in an on-court interview after the game. “It’s pretty special.”

And while almost every other NBA player who lasted to his late 30s finished at a whisper of his peak powers, James’ game shows no significant signs of slowing down in his 40s. He was named the NBA’s Western Conference player of the month for the 41st time earlier Tuesday and he earned it averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals in February while playing more than 35 minutes per game for the Lakers, who went 9-2 to surge into second place in the Western Conference.

James began Tuesday at third in NBA history with 1,547 regular-season games played, trailing only Robert Parish (1,611) and Abdul-Jabbar (1,560). If he stays healthy and decides to return for a record 23rd season, he will likely surpass Parish next winter.

James has also played in 287 post-season games, the most in NBA history. He became the league’s career playoff scoring leader on May 25, 2017, when he surpassed Michael Jordan’s total of 5,987 during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Eastern Conference finals game against the Boston Celtics.

James then went on to become the top scorer in regular-season history on February 7, 2023, when he topped Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points during the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

James’ uncanny scoring ability is due in large part to his consistency day in and day out. With his performance against the Clippers, he has scored at least 10 points in 1,277 consecutive games since January 6, 2007, by far the longest such streak in NBA history.

“We wouldn’t be in the position we’re in without him playing at the level he’s been playing at,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the Pelicans game. “And that’s offensively and defensively.”

As stated previously, James’ player of the month award for February was his 41st, extending his own personal league record. He also became the oldest player to win the award, surpassing a 37-year-old Karl Malone as a member of the Utah Jazz in November 2000.

“Just not falling out of love with the process,” James said. “Continuing to fall in love with the process, that’s the hardest thing, every single year. You know it’s going to be a long season. It’s 82 games, 41 of them are on the road. It’s a lot of travel. And as you get older, it affects you even differently. If you have a family, it affects you even differently. So, the process. Trying not to fall out of love with the process is the hardest thing.”