LeBron James makes historical past, turns into first participant in NBA historical past to finish 50,000 mixed factors

LeBron James is properly on his method to rewriting each earlier definition of basketball longevity, and the 40-year-old star is now racking up numbers the NBA has by no means seen earlier than.

James grew to become the primary participant to attain 50,000 mixed factors within the common season and postseason on Tuesday night time, surpassing the mark with a 3-pointer early within the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-115 win over New Orleans.

James completed with 34 factors in opposition to the Pelicans after toppling one other milestone in his unprecedented profession.

“I imply, that’s a whole lot of factors,” James mentioned afterward, rubbing his beard in surprise. “Clearly, the very first thing that involves thoughts is the place I’m from. Choosing up the sport after I was just a little child and having a love for the game, and hoping that sometime I’d be capable to play on the highest stage. I’ve been ready to try this and actually take pleasure in my profession. So it’s undoubtedly an honor. It’s fairly cool to see that.”

50K CAREER POINTS for the #ScoringKing within the common season and playoffs mixed!

Congrats, LeBron 👑 pic.twitter.com/jseDpQwucc

— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025

James already is the highest scorer in NBA historical past in each the common season and the playoffs. Sustaining a spectacular stage of play halfway by way of his record-tying twenty second season, he’s pulling away from the opposite greats of the sport: Lakers nice Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who performed 20 seasons, is a now-distant second with 44,149 mixed factors.

James received his milestone 3-pointer off an help by Luka Doncic, a trivia tidbit that happy each superstars. Doncic’s arrival in final month’s seismic commerce with the Dallas Mavericks has invigorated each James and the Lakers, who appear to be championship contenders with a seven-game profitable streak and 17 victories of their final 20 video games.

“It’s wonderful, watching him do that stuff at this age,” mentioned Doncic, who had 30 factors, 15 assists and eight rebounds in opposition to New Orleans. “It’s simply unbelievable, that 50K factors. I can’t even clarify how insane that’s. He may get to 70K. You by no means know.”

The Lakers acknowledged the milestone on the subsequent timeout, with public tackle announcer Lawrence Tanter saying: “Women and gents, all of us have simply witnessed historical past.” James acknowledged the standing ovation with a number of waves from the bench.

LEBRON JAMES STARTS THE 50,000 POINTS CLUB 🚨👑

Counting common season & playoffs…

One other spectacular feat for @KingJames! 👏 pic.twitter.com/7IP9MeQ0lz

— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025

James is tied with Vince Carter for essentially the most seasons performed in NBA historical past. However whereas almost each different NBA participant who lasted to his late 30s completed at a fraction of his peak powers, James’ sport reveals no 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 enjoying greater than 35 minutes per sport for the Lakers, who went 9-2 to surge into second place within the West.

With their victory over the Pelicans, the Lakers improved to 11-2 since buying Doncic.

James has performed in 1,548 regular-season video games, trailing solely Robert Parish (1,611) and Abdul-Jabbar (1,560). If he stays wholesome and elects to return for a document 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 sport 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 document of 38,387 factors through the Lakers’ sport in opposition to Oklahoma Metropolis.

James’ prolific scoring is due largely to his metronomic consistency. Together with his efficiency in opposition to the Pelicans, he has scored at the least 10 factors in 1,278 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 document. He’s additionally the oldest participant to win the award, surpassing a 37-year-old Karl Malone in November 2000.