LeBron James scores the triple to become the first player in NBA history to surpass 39,000 career points.
Already that of the NBA career leaderLeBron James reached uncharted territory Tuesday night by becoming the only player in NBA history to score 39,000 career points.
James reached the milestone with a 3-pointer in the first quarter for the Los Angeles Lakers. victory 131-99 on the Utah Jazz. He finished with 17 points in 24 minutes as the Lakers completed a group stage unbeaten run in the NBA tournament in season.
“I’ve been congratulated by my teammates and my coaches, (but) I haven’t had a chance to really understand what that means,” James said. “There have been so many great players that have come through this league since the dawn of time, and so many great scorers. Being able to accomplish something that’s the first of something, I think that’s always pretty cool. It’s a crazy time, that’s for sure.
James continues to play at an elite level in his 21st season, averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists. At his current pace – and assuming good health – James should reach 40,000 points later this season.
In NBA history, only seven players scored more than 30,000 points: James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) and Wilt Chamberlain ( 31,419). Of those seven, five of them – James, Abdul-Jabbar, Malone, Bryant and Chamberlain – spent all or part of their careers playing for the Lakers.
The next active player who could enter the 30,000 point club is Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. He passed Elvin Hayes for 11th on the all-time scoring list Tuesday and has 27,331 points in his career. He needs 2,669 more points to reach 30,000 in his career.
After Durant, LA Clippers guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook are the next active players with a 30,000-point shot. Harden has 24,805 points in his career, while Westbrook has 24,615.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
