LeBron James reaches 50,000 career points: One of one

Written by

Sara Jane Gamelli

LeBron James reached a significant milestone on Tuesday night, surpassing 50,000 career points. What does this mean for his legacy?

50,000 Career points. How many players can say they achieved this? None except LeBron James. Just a kid from Akron, Ohio, LeBron is the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Including the regular season and playoffs, James now joins rare company as the only player ever to pass 50,000 points. We can officially say LeBron James is one of one.

The historic moment occurred during the first quarter of Tuesday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron took advantage of a defensive lapse and scored a three-pointer off a weak-side pass from Luka Doncic. Heading into the matchup just one point shy of the record, the anticipation was felt hours before the game. While Doncic had an early first-quarter run, LeBron wasted no time.

LeBron James becomes the All-Time NBA scoring leader with over 50,000 points

LeBron scored his 50,000th career point and watched his son score a bucket in the same game!

Career Points (Season+Playoffs)
LeBron/Bronny: 50,058
Dell/Steph/Seth: 47,731
Jellybean/Kobe: 44,658
Rick/Brent: 37.150
Mychal/Klay: 33,252pic.twitter.com/o6ig6F9eTm

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 5, 2025

Defeating the Pelicans 136-115, James carried the Lakers to their seventh consecutive win, notching 34 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five three-pointers made. LeBron previously scored 17 points against the Clippers on Sunday to set himself up for this incredible achievement last night.

Although LeBron has always prioritized winning over personal accolades, he gave some insight on the memorable night

The James family experienced a special moment as the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA. On Tuesday night, while LeBron surpassed 50,000 career points, he witnessed his son Bronny James score a basket.

Now in his 22nd season, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s leading scorer just a few seasons ago. Sitting at the top with 41,871 regular season points, James now holds the record with 50,033 points. That includes 8,162 points in 287 playoff games.

Where LeBron James ranks among NBA All-Time leading scorers

To showcase just how dominant LeBron has been throughout his illustrious career, Kevin Durant is the only active player to come close to the scoring record remotely. Even at No. 6, Durant has scored 35,225 career points. To put this into perspective, that’s 14,808 points shy of shattering James’s record. At 36, Durant is now in his 18th NBA season. James Harden ranks 13th among active NBA players with 30,900 points.

RELATED ARTICLE: LEBRON JAMES BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER TO SCORE 40,000 POINTS

With father time creeping up, James keeps defying the odds. Playing at an elite level, James is averaging 24.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists through 56 games this season. Playing at a 30.8 utilization rate, the Laker’s current success very much falls on the shoulders of LeBron. Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James has the fifth best odds to win the 2024-2025 NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

Is LeBron James the GOAT?

https://t.co/WulG4lh0qx pic.twitter.com/SgT0H4Gbzl

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 5, 2025

What does this mean for LeBron James’s legacy? It’s a historic milestone that sets him apart from the others. This cements his place as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play the game. Whether you like him or not, he stands alongside Michael Jordan as the best of all time. Milestones such as this pushes James further into the GOAT debate.

When we think of the all-time NBA greats, fans think of Michael Jordan, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, and Karl Malone, to name a few. At 40, LeBron James has met and passed all the legends in the scoring column. Talk about greatness.

Reaching 50,000 points is an incredible achievement, but LeBron’s accomplishments on and off the court have firmly established him as one of the greatest of all time. For one, he’s one of the most durable and consistent players the NBA has ever seen.

His longevity and durability has given him the reigns to rise above the rest. How many players can say they’ve missed a total of 71 games over the first 15 years of their career?

LeBron James continues to add to his growing list of impactful accolades

In addition to the scoring title, LeBron James is a 21x NBA All-Star, 4x NBA Champion, 4x NBA Finals MVP, 13x All-NBA First-Team, and 5x NBA All-Defensive NBA First Team, to name a few. While 50,000 points doesn’t define LeBron’s legacy, it adds to the ever-growing list of accolades and accomplishments.

How can we forget that LeBron became the first player ever to average a triple-double in the Finals? Having 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 10.0 assists, James put on the most dominant performance we’ve ever seen in the 2017 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James is undeniably the face of the league, and with that comes intense scrutiny. Defying the odds, LeBron was the youngest player in NBA history to pass 1,000, 10,000, 20,000, and even 30,000 career points.

LeBron James greatness off the court

LeBron and his foundation will donate $41 million to send over a thousand kids to college! pic.twitter.com/8LfDIUj4hw

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 21, 2018

Despite all his accomplishments, LeBron has remained just as impactful off the court as on. As one of the most respected athletes of his generation, there will never be another athlete like him. Just a kid from Akron, his work ethic and vision for greatness are truly unmatched.

A family man first, LeBron has cemented his legacy off the court as a philanthropist, and entrepreneur just to name a few. Under the LeBron James Family Foundation, James set sights on helping children in need. With that, he launched I Promise School in 2016.

Among all the accolades, James continues to pursue basketball as he has from day one. 39-21, the Lakers are the No. 2 seed and will look to make another championship run. Now, with the acquisition of Luka Doncic, LeBron may just get his fifth and final ring.

LeBron James continues his court dominance at the age of 40

LeBron has been on a tear playing at an elite level as of late. Over the last 10 games, he’s averaged 27.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks. At this age, how many athletes can say they shoot 53.4 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from beyond the arc?

Averaging 29.3 points in February, James is the first player in the NBA to record several 40+ games at 40 or above. At this age, James is tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons played in NBA history. With that said, just how much does LeBron have left in the tank?

Erupting for 40 points against the Trail Blazers in late February, James poured in 42 against Golden State earlier in the month. In addition, James as 15 30+ games on the season. With that, LeBron James recently was named Player of the Month for the 41st time in his career.

Many great players have graced the NBA, but there will only ever be one LeBron James. His ability to maintain his body and extend his career makes it possible that his records may never be broken. Until he retires, basketball fans will continue to witness the remarkable career of the one and only LeBron James.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 draft, he was poised to become the next generational talent. Who knew his greatness would be this profound?

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the Women’s Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane currently resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut.

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