LeBron James Eclipses 38K Career Points As March to Passing Kareem Continues

The Lakers superstar is inching closer and closer to setting the NBA’s all-time scoring record.

LeBron James added another major milestone to his résumé Sunday night as he continues his march to passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for first place on the all-time scoring list.

Facing the 76ers in Los Angeles, the Lakers superstar made NBA history by becoming the youngest player to score 38,000 career points, joining Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to ever reach that mark. James’s latest accolade also inched him closer to passing Kareem’s vaunted benchmark of 38,387 career points.

• LeBron James Points Tracker: Follow along. 

James, who’s been on a tear in his 20th NBA season, eclipsed the mark with a midrange jumper off an assist from Russell Westbrook with 5:43 to play in the first quarter, giving him exactly 38,001 points in his career.

LeBron James now becomes the second player in history with 38,000 points 🚨pic.twitter.com/pceSCkc8Lz

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 16, 2023

As has been the case throughout his illustrious career, James has continued to amaze while again leading the charge in a do-it-all role, though the Anthony Davis-less Lakers have still struggled. L.A entered Sunday night ranked 13th in the West with a 19–23 record.

Still, James has maintained solid numbers across the board, averaging 29 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in his 32 starts. At his current pace, the 38-year-old could pass Kareem for the NBA’s all-time scoring title around the All-Star break, which is set to take place in Utah from Feb. 17-19.