It feels kinda surreal looking at the box scores lately. For decades, the number 38,387 was essentially the North Star of basketball—a figure so massive it felt more like a myth than a statistic. That was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's lifetime achievement, a record that stood for nearly 40 years until LeBron James finally hunted it down in early 2023. But honestly? That was just the beginning of the end for the old record books.
If you haven’t checked the NBA history most points leaderboards in the last few months, you’re in for a shock. We aren't just talking about a change at the top. We are talking about a total transformation of what "scoring greatness" even looks like in the modern era.
The 50,000-Point Milestone No One Thought Was Possible
On March 4, 2025, LeBron James did something that feels like it belongs in a video game. He became the first player in history to cross the 50,000 total career point threshold.
Now, wait. If you’re a purist, you're probably thinking, "Wait, the record is in the 40,000s." You’re right—sorta. The NBA officially tracks "most points" based on the regular season alone. But if you combine regular season, playoffs, and the new play-in tournament stats, LeBron isn't just leading the pack; he's in a different atmosphere.
As of January 2026, LeBron sits at 42,683 regular-season points.
Think about that for a second. To even get close to that, a player would need to average 25 points per game, play 80 games a year, and do it for 21 straight seasons. Most players are lucky if their knees last ten years. LeBron is currently 41 years old and still putting up 20-plus a night while playing alongside his son, Bronny. It’s basically unprecedented.
Why the All-Time List is Shifting Right Now
It isn't just LeBron. The entire top ten is a moving target.
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Just a few days ago, on January 10, 2026, Kevin Durant swished a three-pointer against Portland that felt like every other bucket he’s made. But that specific shot moved him past Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) for 7th on the all-time list. Durant is now sitting at 31,544 points and counting. He’s currently breathing down the neck of Dirk Nowitzki, who occupies the 6th spot with 31,560.
Honestly, Durant might pass Dirk by the time you finish reading this article.
And then there's James Harden. He’s been quietly climbing while everyone focuses on the "GOAT" debate. In December 2025, Harden bumped Carmelo Anthony out of the top ten. Then, on January 12, 2026, he hopped over Shaquille O'Neal to take the 9th spot.
The Current Top 10 (Regular Season)
- LeBron James: 42,683*
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387
- Karl Malone: 36,928
- Kobe Bryant: 33,643
- Michael Jordan: 32,292
- Dirk Nowitzki: 31,560
- Kevin Durant: 31,544*
- Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419
- James Harden: 28,667*
- Shaquille O'Neal: 28,596
Active player status as of Jan 2026
The Playoff Factor: Where Jordan and LeBron Diverge
Usually, when people argue about NBA history most points, they forget the "Second Season."
The playoffs are where the pressure is highest, and interestingly, the list looks quite different there. Michael Jordan, for instance, drops to 5th in regular-season points because he took those mid-career breaks to play baseball and eventually retired (the first time) at his peak.
But in the playoffs? MJ is 2nd all-time with 5,987 points.
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LeBron, however, has turned the postseason into his own personal stat sheet. He has over 8,289 playoff points. To put that gap in perspective, the difference between LeBron and Jordan in the playoffs is roughly the same amount of points a Hall of Fame player scores in four entire seasons.
The "Wilt" Exception and Single-Game Madness
We can't talk about scoring history without mentioning the night the math broke. March 2, 1962. Hershey, Pennsylvania. Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a single game.
People like to downplay this. They say the defense was bad or that Wilt was just taller than everyone else. But look at the numbers. He shot 36-of-63 from the floor and—miraculously for a guy who hated the charity stripe—28-of-32 from the free-throw line.
In the modern era, Kobe Bryant came the closest with his 81-point masterpiece in 2006. Recently, Luka Dončić put up 73 in 2024, joining the elite tier of David Thompson and Wilt. But 100? That’s a number that feels safe forever.
Is the Record Actually Reachable for Anyone Else?
You've probably heard people say Victor Wembanyama or Luka Dončić will eventually challenge LeBron.
Don't bet on it.
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To reach 42,000 points, you don't just need to be a great scorer. You need to be an immortal. You have to avoid the ACL tears, the Achilles ruptures, and the general burnout that claims almost every athlete by age 35.
Luka scores at a higher rate than LeBron did early on, but he also plays in an era of "load management." LeBron’s era-bridging longevity—playing through the physical 2000s, the "Pace and Space" 2010s, and the three-point explosion of the 2020s—is a statistical anomaly.
The Nuance of the Three-Point Line
It’s worth noting that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points while making exactly one three-pointer in his entire career.
One.
If Kareem played today, would he have scored 45,000? Or would the faster pace have worn his knees out by age 38? It’s the great "what if" of basketball history. The game today is faster, the floor is spaced wider, and the three-point shot acts as a massive multiplier for career totals. This is why we are seeing Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Steph Curry (who just passed 26,000) fly up the rankings so quickly.
How to Track These Records Moving Forward
If you're trying to keep up with the shifting landscape of NBA scoring, stop looking at "all-time" lists that haven't been updated since the 2024 season. The records are moving weekly.
- Watch the Houston Rockets box scores: Kevin Durant is on a tear and will likely pass Dirk Nowitzki by the end of January 2026.
- Keep an eye on James Harden: He’s currently chipping away at the gap between 9th and 8th place.
- The LeBron 43k Watch: At his current pace of 21.9 PPG, LeBron James is expected to hit 43,000 regular-season points late in this 2025-26 season.
The best way to understand the scale of these numbers is to use a "pace calculator." Take a young star like Anthony Edwards or Victor Wembanyama and see what they would have to average over 20 seasons to hit 40,000. It usually ends the "LeBron is only leading because of longevity" argument pretty quickly. Longevity is the hardest skill in sports.
Check the official NBA.com active leaders page every Monday morning. The league updates these tallies in real-time, and with the way the 2025-26 season is going, we are likely to see three more top-ten shifts before the All-Star break.