LeBron James Becomes First Player in NBA History to Score 40,000 Career Points
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to eclipse the 40,000-point mark in a career on Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets.
James, who entered the contest nine points short of the milestone, scored his 40,000th-point on a driving layup with 10:39 to play in the second quarter.
40,000 points for LeBron James pic.twitter.com/nclLY5yuxu
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As James neared the 40,000-point mark, he recently spoke about what the new scoring record would mean to him.
“No one has done it,” James said [via NBA.com]. “And for me to be in this position at this point and time in my career, I think it’s pretty cool. But is it one of the top things I’ve done in my career? No. Does it mean something? Of course. Why wouldn’t it?”
James continues to distance himself on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), Karl Malone (36,928 points) and Kobe Bryant (33,643 points) trail the 39-year-old. Kevin Durant is the closest active player to James, ranking ninth in NBA history with 28,342 points and counting.
This season marks James’s 21st year in the NBA, and he has shown little signs of slowing down.
In 53 games for the Lakers this season, the age-less James is averaging 25.3 points, 7.9 assists and 7.1 rebounds per contest on 52.5% shooting from the floor. He was named to his 20th straight All-Star Game in February, continuing a streak that dates back to his second NBA season.
Saturday’s scoring mark is a testament to James’s incredible longevity as one of the league’s best players for over two decades.