LeBron James becomes first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points

March 2, 2024

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record, once thought to be unbreakable, is being shattered.

LeBron James surpassed the Hall of Famer last year to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

And on Saturday, the four-time MVP became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 points in a career.

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on February 5, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David Jensen/Getty Images)

Entering this night, James needed just nine points to reach his goal. The last time James scored fewer than 10 points was on January 5, 2007, so this was pretty much a lock.

He airballed his first shot, but knocked down the next two to get within four points. He took his seat with 3:19 left in the first quarter, so fans had to wait a little longer. James started the second quarter and immediately hit a layup to get one more bucket.

He missed his first shot, a deep 3-pointer. But on the next possession, he made a spin move in the paint for another layup, just to get to 40,000.

James has lived up to the hype as “The Chosen One” in a famous 2002 Sports Illustrated piece written by the late Grant Wall. His 40,000 points give him one of the best resumes in the history of the sport.

He’s 39 years old and in his 21st NBA season, and shows little sign of slowing down.

James, who was selected to an NBA-record 20th All-Star Game earlier this year, was averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 assists and 7.1 rebounds entering Saturday night. He is one of only four players this season, along with Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Trae Young, to play in at least 50 games and average at least 25-7-7.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles while dribbling the ball during the first half of a game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco on January 27, 2024. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

James’ 27.2 points per game is the most ever among players age 35 or older who have played at least 100 games, by a considerable margin. In second place is Michael Jordan, who averaged 22.5 RBI in 171 games since turning 35. Saturday was James’ 245th game since turning 35 years old.

Including the playoffs, James played in his 1,757th game on Saturday, 40 games shy of Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record.

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James has been vocal about his desire to play alongside his son, Bronny, who is a candidate for this year’s NBA Draft. There’s also speculation that LeBron would like to play alongside his younger brother Bryce, who some scouts say actually has a better profile than his older brother. Bryce will not be eligible to play in the NBA until 2026.