LOS ANGELES — LeBron James grew to become the primary participant in NBA historical past to attain 50,000 mixed factors within the common season and postseason Tuesday night time.
James surpassed the mark with a 3-pointer early within the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ recreation in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans.
James bought to 49,999 factors Sunday night time when he scored 17 whereas the Lakers beat the Clippers 108-102 for his or her sixth consecutive win.
The 40-year-old James already is the highest scorer in NBA historical past in each the common season and the playoffs throughout a profession wherein he has rewritten all earlier definitions of basketball longevity.
James reached 50,000 factors deep into his twenty second season, which ties him with Vince Carter for essentially the most performed in NBA historical past.
Lakers nice Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who performed 20 seasons, is second in NBA historical past with 44,149 mixed factors.
And whereas practically each different NBA participant who lasted to his late 30s completed at a fraction of his peak powers, James’ recreation exhibits no important indicators of decline in his 40s.
He was named the NBA’s Western Convention participant of the month earlier Tuesday after he averaged 29.3 factors, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals in February whereas taking part in greater than 35 minutes per recreation for the Lakers, who went 9-2 to surge into second place within the West.
James started Tuesday at third in NBA historical past with 1,547 regular-season video games performed, trailing solely Robert Parish (1,611) and Abdul-Jabbar (1,560).
If he stays wholesome and elects to return for a report twenty third season, he’ll doubtless surpass Parish subsequent winter.
James has additionally performed in 287 postseason video games, essentially the most in NBA historical past.
He grew to become the league’s profession playoff scoring chief on Could 25, 2017, when he surpassed Michael Jordan’s complete of 5,987 through the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jap Convention finals recreation at Boston.
James then grew to become the highest scorer in regular-season historical past on Feb. 7, 2023, when he topped Abdul-Jabbar’s report of 38,387 factors through the Lakers’ recreation in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis.
James’ prolific scoring is due largely to his metronomic consistency.
Together with his efficiency in opposition to the Clippers, he has scored a minimum of 10 factors in 1,277 consecutive video games since Jan. 6, 2007 — by far the longest such streak in NBA historical past.
James’ participant of the month award for February was his forty first, extending his personal league report.
He additionally grew to become the oldest participant to win the award, surpassing a 37-year-old Karl Malone in November 2000.
