By Can Erozden
LeBron James, one of the greatest players in NBA history, on Tuesday passed 39,000 career points, making him the first player ever to reach that distinction.
A Los Angeles Lakers forward since 2018, James scored 17 points against the Utah Jazz in Tuesday’s game to pass the 39,000-point threshold in the league.
The Lakers won the game 131-99 at their home Crypto.com Arena to take the number six spot in the Western Conference led by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have won 10 games in 13 appearances this season.
The James-led Lakers have a 9-6 win/loss record in the league. After losing, the Jazz are 4-10, leaving them in the lower ranks in the Western standings.
Four-time NBA champion James, who will turn 39 on Dec. 30, is spending his 21st season in the NBA, now with 39,012 points to his name. The 19-time NBA All-Star has been leading the all-time top scorers' list.
At his current pace, James is expected to reach 40,000 points during the 2023-24 season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an NBA legend who retired in 1989, is second in the American basketball league's all-time highest scorers' list after tallying 38,387 career points, but he was beaten by James this February.
James previously beat the points totals of NBA legends such as Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan.
Among active players, the Phoenix Suns' 35-year-old forward Kevin Durant, a former NBA champion, has racked up 27,331 career points, making him second to James, but there is a huge 10,000-plus gap between the two.
- Tuesday's results
Orlando Magic - Toronto Raptors: 126-107
Atlanta Hawks - Indiana Pacers: 152-157
Philadelphia 76ers - Cleveland Cavaliers: 119-122
Phoenix Suns - Portland Trail Blazers: 120-107
Los Angeles Lakers - Utah Jazz: 131-99