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King James Nears 40,000 Career Points
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, continues to widen the gap at the top after surpassing the record in February 2023. Since surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron has already exceeded the 39,000 points milestone and is steadily approaching the 40,000 points threshold.
In a game against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 21 earlier this season, LeBron achieved his 39,000th point, making him the first player in NBA history to reach that milestone. The next milestone for the NBA legend is reaching the 40,000 points mark, a feat that could solidify his position at the pinnacle of the league’s all-time scoring list for years to come.
LeBron James is edging nearer to that milestone with every game he plays. Despite experiencing a gradual decline in his performance as a four-time MVP, the drop-off hasn’t been drastic. In his 21st year, LeBron maintains his reliability as a key presence for the Lakers, contributing a team-high 24.9 points per game this season.
Even with the absence of eight games, LeBron remains in excellent form, and there’s a possibility that he could reach the 40,000-point mark soon.
What Possible Dates will Lebron Cross the 40,000 Points Mark? Here Are Some Possibilities
At the onset of the 2023-24 NBA season, LeBron James had accumulated 38,652 points. Considering factors such as age, health, and anticipated availability, surpassing the 40,000 career points mark in this season appeared challenging for LeBron. Over the last three years, he had not played in more than 60 games, and in his 21st year, frequent game absences, often attributed to rest, were expected.
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Contrary to expectations, LeBron has participated in all but seven games, demonstrating resilience by playing in back-to-backs, overcoming injuries, and logging heavy minutes even as the Lakers grapple to maintain a winning record. While his scoring rate has seen a decline, his consistent availability has allowed him to amass 1274 points. Currently, he stands merely 74 points away from reaching the coveted 40,000 career-points milestone.
Considering LeBron James’ current scoring average, he could potentially reach the 40,000 career points milestone in the span of three to four games. If he maintains this pace and plays consecutively, the milestone might be achieved on Feb. 29 against the Washington Wizards, Mar. 2 against the Denver Nuggets, or Mar. 4 against the OKC Thunder—all of which are home games for the Lakers. This presents a fitting opportunity for a significant moment, especially given LeBron’s history of surpassing milestones during home games, including passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and breaking the 39,000 points record at Crypto.com Arena.
Assuming LeBron remains in good health, it’s likely that he will continue to make himself available for the LA Lakers until they establish a comfortable record that allows for strategic rest periods. Currently positioned three games above the .500 mark, the Lakers are steadily finding their rhythm, and the period leading up to the All-Star break holds significance in their efforts to avoid the play-in tournament for a second consecutive year.
Lebron James Leads the All-Time Scoring List
In his 20th NBA season, LeBron James has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the highest-scoring player in NBA history. Breaking a 39-year record that many thought would remain unchallenged, the Los Angeles Lakers star achieved this milestone by sinking a 21-foot shot late in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Watch the video of the moment here:
There are currently only two active players in the NBA that are on the list of all time points scored – Lebron James at number 1 and Kevin Durant at number 9, with 28,318 points* (points at the time of the article written).
| RK | PLAYER | PTS |
| 1 | Lebron James | 39,926 |
| 2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38,387 |
| 3 | Karl Malone | 36,928 |
| 4 | Kobe Bryant | 33,643 |
| 5 | Michael Jordan | 32,292 |
| 6 | Dirk Nowitzki | 31,560 |
| 7 | Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 |
| 8 | Shaquille O’Neal | 28,596 |
| 9 | Kevin Durant | 28,318 |
| 10 | Carmelo Anthony | 28,289 |
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