LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to achieve 50,000 points in both the regular season and the playoffs on Tuesday night. After hitting 49,999 points in Sunday’s victory over the Clippers, he reached the milestone with a three-pointer in the first quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Pelicans.
James, who is 40 years old, is the first player to reach 50,000 points in both the regular season and the playoffs, further redefining basketball longevity. According to the New York Post, James, already the NBA’s all-time top scorer, tied Vince Carter for the most seasons played in his 22nd season.
LeBron James is still rewriting history! 📚 Even Skip Bayless is giving him his flowers! 🌸
He just became the 1st player to hit 50,000 combined points! 🎉The longevity is unbelievable! ⏳ #LeBronJames #NBA #GOAT #LongevityKing #SkipBayless #SportsLegend #RecordBreaker pic.twitter.com/Pv2PhLz3Zo
— Sportskeeda Basketball (@Basketball_SK) March 6, 2025
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 20-season Lakers player, comes in second with 44,149 points overall. James maintains his dominance far into his 40s, in contrast to other NBA veterans. His average of 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in February earned him the title of Western Conference Player of the Month, and he showed no signs of slowing down.
James led the Lakers to a 9-2 record and second place in the Western Conference by playing more than 35 minutes per game. James, who began Tuesday third in career regular-season games played (1,547), behind only Robert Parish (1,611) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560), is still moving up the NBA’s all-time rankings.
He might overtake Parish the following winter if he returns for a record 23rd season. James passed Michael Jordan to become the NBA’s all-time playoff-scoring leader in 2017, and he already holds the record for the most postseason games played (287).
On February 7, 2023, he beat Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387 points and won the regular-season scoring title. His legendary scoring legacy has been fuelled by his unwavering consistency. James keeps breaking records with unparalleled regularity. He became the first player in NBA history to score at least 10 points in 1,277 straight games with his performance against the Clippers.
He further solidified his domination by winning his 41st Western Conference Player of the Month award, overtaking 37-year-old Karl Malone in 2000 to become the oldest player to do so.
Speaking to media gathered around his locker on Tuesday, James claimed that his unwavering love for the game helped him surpass the 50,000-point mark. “I mean, that’s a lot of points,” James reflected. “The first thing that comes to mind is where I’m from. Picking up the game when I was a little kid having a love for the sport, and hoping that someday I’d be able to play at the highest level.
LeBron James Makes History!
The King just became the first player ever to cross 50,000 combined points (regular season + playoffs). The Lakers crushed the Pelicans 136-115, and LeBron keeps redefining greatness.
Unreal longevity. #LeBronJames #NBA #lakers #lakernation #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/nOHjcYk9Jo— FARON (@ErxFaron) March 5, 2025
“I’ve been able to do that and enjoy my career. So it’s an honor. It’s pretty cool to see that.” James admitted though that the relentless grind of the NBA’s grueling 82-game regular season has become more challenging as the years have rolled by.
“Continuing to fall in love with the process — that’s the hardest thing, every single year,” James said. “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 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.” There hasn’t been much indication this season that James’ enthusiasm is waning. He scored 40 points in a 110-102 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on the road last month, making him the only player in NBA history to post multiple 40-point games at the age of 40 or older.
