LeBron James is 1 point away from 50,000 in NBA career

LeBron James is on the brink of yet another unprecedented achievement, needing just 1 point to become the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career points—regular season and playoffs combined.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, now in his 22nd season, continues to redefine longevity and consistency in professional basketball.

Already the all-time leader in combined points, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's regular-season scoring record on Feb. 7, 2023, and broke Michael Jordan’s playoff scoring record on May 25, 2017. With 49,982 total points to his name, he entered Sunday's matchup against the L.A. Clippers with another milestone within reach.

James ended up scoring 17 points, bringing his all-time career total to 49,999.

James has been in top form leading up to this moment, averaging 29.3 points per game in February while shooting 55.5% from the field and 44.3% from beyond the arc. It marks his highest scoring month since January 2022 (33.8 PPG).

Earlier this month, he also became the first player aged 40 or older to record multiple 40-point games, joining Jordan as the only players in that category.

The Lakers have capitalized on James’ form, winning 17 of their last 21 games to climb to third in the Western Conference. With a strong push for a guaranteed playoff spot, James has multiple opportunities to continue adding to his record-setting career total.

Lakers play Pelicans on Tuesday night, which will give James the chance to further cement his status as one of basketball’s greatest players, setting a record that may stand for generations.