Behind the Record-breaking Career of LeBron James, NBA’s Top Scorer

LeBron James has set a new NBA record by overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer. James, who is 38 years old, scored a total of 38 points during the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, bringing his regular-season tally to 38,390 points, which is three points more than Abdul-Jabbar’s total. James, who already has the most post-season points, broke the record with a step-back jump shot towards the end of the third quarter, and the achievement was celebrated with an on-court ceremony. Abdul-Jabbar had held the record since 1984 when he surpassed the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain.
Despite playing 150 fewer games than Abdul-Jabbar (1,410 compared with 1,560), James emerged as the all-time leading scorer. James has an average of 27.2 points per game, compared to Abdul-Jabbar’s 24.6. Only four NBA players in history have scored more points than James per game: Michael Jordan (30.1), Chamberlain (30.1), Elgin Baylor (27.4) and Kevin Durant (27.3).
Selected as the first pick in the 2003 draft, James made his NBA debut for Cleveland Cavaliers at 18 years old. He became the youngest player to reach 10,000, 20,000 and 30,000 points. Most of his total points were scored in two stints with the Cavaliers (23,119), while the remainder were split between time with the Miami Heat (7,919) and the Lakers (7,352).
Now in his 20th season in the NBA, James, aged 38, looks set to become the first player to reach 40,000 points. Despite his age, he continues to improve, with his average points per game since turning 38 rising to an all-time high of 33.9. Following the recent game against the Thunder in which he achieved his latest 38-point haul, James has scored at least 20 points in 36 consecutive games, which is the third-longest streak of his career. James has also signed a contract extension with the Lakers, keeping him at the franchise until the end of the 2023-24 season, with the option to extend for a year.
Throughout his 20-year career, James has dominated all of his opponents, becoming the first player to score 40 points in a single game against all 30 franchises. He also recorded a triple-double, achieved by attaining double-digit scores in three out of five statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots), against every team, one of only two players, along with team-mate Russell Westbrook, to have done so.
James has played a minimum of 30 regular-season games against every franchise since his 2003 debut, except for the Cavaliers, whom he has faced on 20 occasions. His highest points-per-game average is against the Boston Celtics, where he has scored an average of 29.1 points. His lowest is against the Detroit Pistons, with an average of 24.1 points.