LeBron James reached 40,000 points on Saturday night and is still going strong in his 21st NBA season as he tries to put the career scoring record out of reach.
James drove past Michael Porter Jr. and hit a layup with 10:39 left in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets for the historic basket.
James received a standing ovation the next time out, with coach Darvin Ham giving him a congratulatory pat on the chest. There was a video presentation in the arena, which was preceded and followed by James raising the ball above his head.
James fired an airball on his first attempt of the night, but responded by stepping out in transition for a layup for his first points and prompting the Nuggets to use their first timeout. He then knocked down a 3-pointer in the corner before fouling out with 3:19 left in the first quarter.
James checked back in to start the second quarter and attacked the basket 14 seconds into the period to set up the historic basket.
James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387 points to become the league’s top scorer on February 7, 2023, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He reached 39,000 points on November 21 in an In-Season Tournament game against the Utah Jazz.
Ham was a young fan when Abdul-Jabbar wrapped up his career and assumed the record would never be challenged, let alone surpassed in the way James has.
“But here we are,” Ham said before the match. “It’s a testament to Bron, just the time and resources he spends on himself, making sure he’s not only healthy, but at a high level.”
James, 39, also played the second-most regular season and most playoff minutes in league history. He is the only NBA player with at least 10,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone spent five seasons with James as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010 and remains impressed with how he can still play at such a high level.
“I don’t necessarily get caught up in the numbers, but you just have to marvel at the continued greatness,” Malone said.
“Just to do what he’s doing at this stage of his career, and it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down at all, which is even scarier. Really, if you take a step back, all you have to do is marvel at its longevity. But he just doesn’t play with this. He plays effectively.”