Honestly, if you told a basketball fan twenty years ago that Kareem’s record would be a distant second place by 2026, they would have laughed you out of the gym.
But here we are.
NBA basketball scoring leaders aren't just names in a dusty record book anymore. They are active moving targets. Every Tuesday night in January seems to bring a new milestone, a new leapfrog, or a statistical anomaly that makes the "unbreakable" numbers of the 90s look like warm-up sets.
Right now, LeBron James is sitting on a throne that isn't just high—it’s basically in orbit. As of mid-January 2026, he has officially cleared 42,600 regular-season points. If you count the playoffs, he blew past the 50,000-point mark back in March of 2025. It’s absurd. He’s 41 years old, playing in his 23rd season, and still putting up numbers that would make a rookie’s career.
But LeBron isn't the only one rewrite the script.
The Active Legends Climbing the Ladder
You've probably noticed that the top 10 all-time list looks way different than it did even three years ago.
Kevin Durant just passed Wilt Chamberlain for the number seven spot on January 9, 2026. He did it with a smooth three-pointer against the Blazers, finishing the night with 31,435 career points. It’s wild to see KD, now 37 and playing for the Houston Rockets, still looking like the most effortless scorer in the building. He’s got Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) in his sights next.
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Then there is James Harden.
People love to debate Harden's style, but you can't argue with the math. He recently cracked the top 10, passing Carmelo Anthony and then sliding past Shaquille O’Neal into the number nine spot just this week.
Current All-Time Top 10 (Regular Season)
- LeBron James: 42,654+ points
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387 points
- Karl Malone: 36,928 points
- Kobe Bryant: 33,643 points
- Michael Jordan: 32,292 points
- Dirk Nowitzki: 31,560 points
- Kevin Durant: 31,435+ points (Active)
- Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419 points
- James Harden: 28,636+ points (Active)
- Shaquille O'Neal: 28,596 points
Who is Winning the 2025-26 Scoring Title?
While the old guard is securing their legacy, the current season is a total dogfight.
Luka Dončić, now rocking the purple and gold for the Los Angeles Lakers, is currently leading the league in points per game. He’s hovering around 33.4 PPG. It’s sort of surreal seeing him in LA, but his production hasn't dipped a bit.
He's being chased by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA is the engine behind a terrifyingly good Oklahoma City Thunder team. He’s averaging nearly 32 points per game while leading the league in total points scored this season (around 1,245 points as of today).
Then you have the dark horses.
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Tyrese Maxey is having a monster year in Philly, sitting at 30.5 PPG. Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland isn't far behind. The scoring environment in 2026 is so fast-paced and three-point heavy that "scoring leader" status can flip in a single weekend.
The Pace Problem: Why These Records Fall
Is today's scoring "easier"?
Kinda.
If you look at the 1990s, teams were lucky to break 100 points. Now, if a team doesn't hit 115, something went wrong. The floor spacing is wider. The "freedom of movement" rules mean you can't just clothesline a guy driving to the rim like Bill Laimbeer used to.
But that shouldn't take away from what these NBA basketball scoring leaders are doing.
The skill level is just higher. Big men like Nikola Jokić (averaging nearly 30 PPG along with 11 assists) are doing things that were physically impossible for centers thirty years ago. We are seeing a blend of volume and efficiency that shouldn't exist.
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What to Watch For This Spring
If you're tracking these numbers, keep an eye on a few specific things:
- Durant vs. Dirk: KD needs less than 150 points to take the #6 spot. He’ll likely get there by early February if he stays healthy.
- Stephen Curry's Ascent: Steph is currently at 24th all-time but moving fast. He’s passed Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter recently. Every three he hits is essentially a new NBA record for total distance covered by the ball.
- The 45,000 Mark: Can LeBron actually hit 45k? At his current pace, he’d need to play deep into the 2026-27 season. Most people thought 40k was the ceiling. LeBron seems to think ceilings are optional.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, don't just look at the PPG (points per game). Look at the Total Points column. Since players miss more games now due to "injury management," the guy who wins the scoring title might not actually be the guy who scored the most total points in the season.
Check the daily updated leaderboards on sites like Basketball-Reference or the official NBA stats portal every Monday. The race between Luka and SGA is going to come down to the final week of the regular season, and with the way the Lakers are playing, Luka might have to keep that 33-point average just to keep them in the playoff hunt.
Monitor the Rockets’ schedule if you want to see Durant make history. His move to Houston has rejuvenated his scoring, and he’s playing more minutes than he probably should at 37. Every game is a chance to see a top-10 legend move up another rung on the greatest ladder in sports.
Keep your eyes on the box scores; the records we thought would last forever are being erased in real-time.