LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 50,000 total points

Basketball legend LeBron James added another historic milestone to his illustrious career on Tuesday, becoming the first player in NBA history to surpass 50,000 total points, including regular season and playoff games.

The 40-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star achieved the feat in the first quarter of the team's home game against the New Orleans Pelicans, sinking a three-pointer to etch his name into the record books once again. James entered the game with 49,999 combined points and wasted no time in reaching the landmark.

The four-time NBA champion already holds the record for the most regular-season points, having broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing record in February 2023. Abdul-Jabbar’s tally of 38,387 points had remained untouched for nearly four decades before James surpassed it. Additionally, the Ohio-born athlete also leads the all-time playoff scoring charts, overtaking Michael Jordan’s record in May 2017.

Despite being in his 22nd NBA season, James continues to perform at an elite level. He was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Month for February, a record-extending 41st monthly award in his career. With this accolade, James also became the oldest player to receive the honour, surpassing Karl Malone, who won it at age 37 with the Utah Jazz in 2000.

James' Lakers have been in red-hot form since their headline-making trade for Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks last month, which saw star forward Anthony Davis move the other way. The team entered Tuesday’s contest on a six-game winning streak and now sits second in the Western Conference standings, positioning themselves as strong contenders for the NBA title.

With his latest milestone, James further cements his legacy as one of the greatest players in basketball history, showing no signs of slowing down even at 40.