LeBron James hits from long range for 50,000 career points.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason Tuesday night.
James surpassed the mark with a 3-pointer early in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The 40-year-old James already is the top scorer in NBA history in both the regular season (41,840 and counting) and the playoffs (8,162) during a career in which he has rewritten all previous definitions of longevity.
50K CAREER POINTS for the #ScoringKing in the regular season and playoffs combined!
Congrats, LeBron 👑 pic.twitter.com/jseDpQwucc
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025
James reached 50,000 points deep into his 22nd season, which ties him with Vince Carter for the most played in NBA history. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons, is second in NBA history with 44,149 combined points.
And while nearly every other NBA player who lasted to his late 30s finished at a fraction of his peak powers, James’ game shows no significant signs of decline in his 40s.
He was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month earlier Tuesday after he averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals in February, the oldest player to earn the award.
