LeBron James Becomes First NBA Player to Score 50,000 Combined Points
LeBron James made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points, helping the Los Angeles Lakers secure a 136-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The 40-year-old reached this milestone early in the first quarter when he received a pass from Luka Doncic and nailed a brilliant 25-foot three-pointer. James finished the game with 34 points, taking his career total to 50,033. He is now 6,000 points ahead of the second-placed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
James’ impressive total consists of a record 41,871 regular season points, plus 8,162 points from the postseason, where he is also the all-time leading scorer.
“I’m not going to sugar-coat it – it’s a hell of a lot of points,” James said. “I’m super blessed to be able to put up that many points in my career in the best league in the world and against the best players in the world – it’s pretty special.”
This achievement came in James’ 22nd season in the NBA, tying him with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in league history. He was supported by Doncic, who contributed 30 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds, as the Lakers extended their winning streak to seven games and moved up to second place in the Western Conference standings.
Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson led the tributes to James on social media, writing: “Congratulations to the King LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points!”
Earlier in the day, James was also named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month, after averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. This made him the oldest player to ever earn the award.
