LeBron James Has Outscored NBA Greats Larry Bird And Magic Johnson Combined
Last week Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to record 40,000 career points.
He now has 40,036 in 21 seasons.
"Being the first player to do something, it's pretty cool in this league," James said. " Just knowing the history, the greats that's come through the league, and then you see some of the greats on the floor tonight, it was great to compete."
This mark by James trumps the combined scoring of NBA greats Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who are widely considered the players who turned the league onto a global audience. Johnson finished with 17,707 in 13 seasons while Bird had 21,791 in his 13 years.
James, 39, began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers before winning two titles with the Miami Heat. He later returned to the Cavs, leading them to a championship in 2016. James then joined the Lakers, where he also won a title in 2020.
Despite his age, James remains one of the most dominant players in the league. He is averaging 25.2 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.1 rebounds on 52.6 percent shooting. Not to mention, his 19-point final quarter last Wednesday led to a comeback win against the Los Angeles Clippers (37-20). He has been vocal about his retirement being on the horizon but has yet to show signs of slowing down this season.
It seems unlikely another player will reach this milestone in our lifetimes, leaving James in a tier of his own.
Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Inside the Heat.
He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram @anthony.pasciolla.
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