On Tuesday night, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career points, regular season and playoffs combined. James came into the game against the New Orleans Pelicans just one point shy of breaking the 50,000 points threshold—a feat that was viewed to be insurmountable not that long ago. The history-making moment happened with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter when LeBron canned a three-pointer in his first shot attempt of the game.
James now has a total of 41,871 regular season points to go along with 8,162 playoff points, both of which are all-time records individually. He also has almost 6,000 points more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the second-highest ranked player on the list in combined regular season and playoff points. James told Spectrum SportsNet after the game, “It’s a hell of a lot of points, and I’m super blessed to be able to put that many points up in the best league in the world with the best players in the world over my career.”
James Helps Lead Lakers To Victory On Record-Breaking Night
In addition to reaching a never before seen NBA milestone, LeBron James once again found himself leading the way for the Lakers in their 136-115 win over the Pelicans. James finished the game with a team-high 34 points, as well as 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks in 33 minutes played.
LeBron’s teammate Luka Doncic had arguably his best game as a Laker thus far, posting an impressive statline of 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 15 assists with a plus/minus of 37. Doncic becomes just the fourth-ever player in Lakers history to have 30 points and 15 assists in a single game, joining the likes of LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Jerry West.
The blowout victory extends the Lakers’ winning streak to seven games, their longest winning streak since 2021. 136 points is also the most points that the Lakers have scored in any game so far this season.
LeBron Has Been On Fire Since Turning 40
LeBron James has reached a point in his career where record after record falls with increasing frequency. Yet it is even more impressive that the 40-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. Since turning 40 years old on December 30, 2024, James’ numbers have somehow improved from where they were at the start of the season.
Over the past 28 games, James is averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. His numbers since the new year began have been on par with some of his best-ever seasons in his 22-year career. Recently, there have been posts circulating on social media showcasing the similarities between James’ numbers over the last month with the stats he had during the 2012-13 season when he last won league MVP while playing for the Miami Heat.
James was recently named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, becoming the oldest player in the NBA history to win a player of the month award. It was also the 41st time that James had won the award in his illustrious career.
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