LeBron James has etched his name in NBA history once again, becoming the first player to score 50,000 combined career points. The Los Angeles Lakers star achieved the milestone on Tuesday during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
James entered the matchup with 49,999 career points, including both regular season and playoff games. It didn’t take long for the 40-year-old to reach the historic mark. Early in the game, he received a pass from Luka Doncic and sank a deep three-pointer, sending the Crypto.com Arena crowd into a frenzy as he officially crossed the 50,000-point threshold.
This latest achievement adds to James’ long list of records. In 2023, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points—a record that had stood for nearly four decades. Now, James is nearly 6,000 points ahead of Abdul-Jabbar’s total career tally of 44,149.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson was among those who celebrated the milestone. “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’ historic night came just hours after earning another record—becoming the oldest player to win the NBA’s Player of the Month award for February. The Lakers went 10-2 that month, with James averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
