Tracking LeBron James’ NBA Scoring Milestones As He Closes In on 40,000 Point Mark

• James scored his first NBA points in the game against the Sacramento Kings back in 2003
• He broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record in the game against OKC early this year
• The LA Lakers star has reached the 39,000-point milestone in his 21st season in the NBA

LeBron James is simply amazing.

The Los Angeles Lakers star made history on Tuesday night, becoming the first NBA player to score 39,000 points.

Sports Brief looks at his scoring milestones as he closes in on the 40,000-point mark.

LeBron scores first NBA basket

James made his NBA debut on October 29, 2003, against the Sacramento Kings.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star lived up to the hype in his first game in the Association, recording 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals in the 106-92 loss to the Kings.

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His first career points came via a 16-foot jumper assisted by Ricky Davis. No one expected back then that James would eventually become the league’s scoring king.

LeBron reaches 1,000 points

James needed just 49 games to reach the 1,000-point mark, accomplishing that feat in the game against the Boston Celtics on February 9, 2004.

He scored 24 points that night to lead the Cavs to a 97-89 victory, per Cleveland.com.

LeBron reaches 5,000 points

James reached the 5,000-point mark in style, scoring 51 points in the Cavs’ 108-90 win over the Utah Jazz on January 21, 2006.

He was in a hurry to pass Kobe Bryant as the youngest player to ever reach 5,000 points.

James needed at least 45 against the Jazz to accomplish that feat at the age of 21, and that he did, recording his second 50-point outing in as many months.

He shot 19 of 35 from the field, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc in that historic game.

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LeBron reaches 10,000 points

James became the youngest player in NBA history to score 10,000 points, reaching that mark in the Cavs’ 92-87 loss to the Boston Celtics on February 27, 2008.

An ankle injury in the first half didn’t stop LeBron from breaking the record, with the Cleveland forward scoring 26 in the defeat.

He was 23 years and 59 days old when he reached the milestone, more than a year younger than Kobe was when he achieved the feat in 2003.

James needed just 368 games to reach the milestone, the ninth-fastest in NBA history.

LeBron becomes Cleveland’s all-time leading scorer

James cemented his status as the greatest Cavalier of all time on March 21, 2008, when he became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

He broke Brad Daugherty’s record of 10,389 points, passing that mark with a tough layup in the first quarter of their game against the Toronto Raptors.

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James needed just 380 games in a Cleveland uniform to claim the record.

LeBron reaches 15,000 points

James reached the 15,000-point milestone in the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 19, 2010. He reached his milestone through a free throw in the first quarter.

He became the youngest player to reach that mark, accomplishing the feat at the age of 25 years and 79 days.

Bryant held the record before James passed him, scoring his 15,000th point during his 657th NBA game at the age of 27 years and 136 days.

James only needed 540 games to achieve that total.

LeBron joins 20,000-point club

James added to his legend on January 16, 2013, becoming the 38th player in NBA history to record 20,000 points.

The Miami Heat star reached the hallowed plateau with a short jumper in the second quarter of their game against the Golden State Warriors.

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He was the youngest to reach that milestone, achieving that point total at the age of 28 years and 17 days. He broke Bryant’s previous record of 29 years and 122 days.

LeBron reaches 25,000 points

James reached the 25,000-point milestone in the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 2, 2015.

He scored his 25,000th and 25,001st points through an alley-oop from Cleveland teammate, Matthew Dellavedova, sending Philly fans into a frenzy.

Sixers fans rose to their feet and gave the NBA legend a standing ovation for his scoring feat, as he became the 20th player in NBA history to record 25,000 points.

He was the youngest to achieve that point total, reaching the milestone at the age of 30 years and 307 days.

James broke Bryant’s previous record of 31 years and 351 days.

LeBron joins 30,000-point club

James entered rarefied air on January 23, 2018, becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to score 30,000 points.

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He reached the milestone in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 114-102 loss to San Antonio, hitting a jumper over Danny Green with one second left.

James joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Dirk Nowitzki on the list of 30,000-point scorers in the NBA.

LeBron enters 35,000-point club

James joined the 35,000-point club on February 18, 2021, in the Lakers’ 109-98 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

He achieved the point total through a free throw basket.

He became the third player in NBA history to reach that milestone, joining Abdul-Jabbar and Malone on that exclusive list.

LeBron breaks Kareem’s scoring record

James now stands alone.

The Los Angeles Lakers star surpassed Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA career scoring record, accomplishing the feat in the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 16, 2023.

He needed 36 points to pass Kareem on the all-time scoring list, and he did just that before the fourth quarter even started.

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James drained a difficult 21-foot turnaround jumper with 10.9 seconds remaining in the third quarter to push his point total to 38,388, the most in NBA history.

The game was stopped after the record fell, with Adam Silver and Abdul-Jabbar congratulating James for his historic achievement.

LeBron reaches 39,000 points

James extended his scoring record, reaching the 39,000-point mark in the Lakers’ 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

He’s the only player in NBA history to reach that scoring milestone.

He achieved the point total with a 3-pointer in the first quarter of their NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Jazz.

James has been on fire in Year 21 and is on track to reach the 40,000-point mark later this season.

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He scored a season-high 37 points in the Lakers' 105-104 win over the Houston Rockets.

James also recorded a triple-double this season, scoring 28 in the game against the Kings.