LeBron James is about to rewrite history again.
Just nine months after becoming the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, James will pass another milestone on the list, becoming the first NBA player to score 39,000 career points.
In his 21st season, James is doing something that defies all conventional wisdom. In 13 games, the 38-year-old averaged 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 58.6% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range. In the 14th game, he can cross the 39,000-point plateau and create history.
This is James’ place in history and where he pursues another scoring milestone.
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LeBron James career scores
LeBron James enters Tuesday’s game against the Jazz with 38,995 career points. As the all-time scoring leader, James has more than 11,000 points more than the next-highest active player, 35-year-old Kevin Durant.
NBA all-time scoring leader
rank | player | integral |
1. | LeBron James* | 38,995 |
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. | Carmelo Anthony | 28,289 |
10. | Moses Malone | 27,409 |
eleven. | Elvin Hayes | 27,313 |
12. | Kevin Durant* | 27,300 |
* – positive
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When will LeBron James reach 40,000 career points?
LeBron James enters the 2023-24 season with 38,562 career points, 1,348 points shy of 40,000 points. In the first 13 games, James averaged 26.4 points per game and he has 343 points this season.
Health is critical to James’ success, and he has missed just one game through the first four weeks of the season. Here’s what James needs to do to score 1,005 points and hit the 40,000-point mark, and how long it will take:
- If LeBron James averaged 25.0 points per game… He scored 1,005 points in about 40 games
- If LeBron James averaged 26.4 points per game (season average)… He scored 1,005 points in approximately 38 games
- If LeBron James averaged 27.2 points per game (career average)… He scored 1,005 points in approximately 37 games
Since joining the Lakers, James has played in 55.6 games per game. James, 38, will likely miss the rest of the season with the Lakers, which could delay his pursuit of 40,000 points.
The Lakers will play the Warriors on Thursday, February 22, in their 55th game of the season.