It happened on a Tuesday night in Los Angeles. February 7, 2023. LeBron James leaned back, faded away from the elbow, and the ball snapped through the net. That was it. The moment the NBA all time leader in points changed for the first time in nearly four decades.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there. He stood up. He watched the record he’d held since 1984—one many thought was basically unshakeable—finally fall. It wasn't just a basket; it was the culmination of twenty years of avoiding the kind of catastrophic injuries that usually derail a career by age thirty-five.
Most people look at the total number and think about scoring. But being the all time leader in points isn't just about being a "pure scorer." Honestly, it’s a survival contest. It’s about being an outlier among outliers. You’ve gotta be great, sure. But you also have to be lucky and obsessed with recovery.
The Myth of the Unbreakable Record
For a long time, 38,387 was the magic number. That was Kareem’s mark. To put that in perspective, Michael Jordan—arguably the greatest to ever lace them up—finished with 32,292. Kobe Bryant, a man who lived to shoot the ball, ended at 33,643. Neither even really got close to the top spot.
Why? Because the math is brutal.
To become the all time leader in points, you basically need to average 25 points per game for 19 seasons while playing 75+ games every single year. Most NBA players' knees give out way before that. Even if you're a walking bucket, the sheer physical toll of 82-game seasons usually forces a decline. Kareem survived because of his Skyhook—the most unblockable shot in history—and a dedication to yoga and stretching that was decades ahead of his time.
LeBron didn’t have a singular "unblockable" shot. He just had a freight-train physique and a reported $1.5 million annual budget for body maintenance. Cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, personal chefs—that’s how you stay at the top of the mountain.
How the All Time Leader in Points Changed the Game
We used to value the "pure scorer." Think Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant. These are guys who can get a bucket from anywhere, anytime. But LeBron James taking the title of all time leader in points actually sparked a weirdly heated debate.
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A lot of old-school fans argue he’s a "pass-first" player. It’s a funny criticism. Imagine calling the man with more points than anyone in the history of the sport "not a scorer." But it highlights something interesting about the record. You don't have to be a selfish player to lead the league. You just have to be efficient.
Look at the top of the list:
- LeBron James (40,000+ and counting)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387)
- Karl Malone (36,928)
- Kobe Bryant (33,643)
- Michael Jordan (32,292)
Karl Malone is a great example of the "longevity" factor. "The Mailman" wasn't flashy. He didn't have a deep bag of crossovers. He just ran the pick-and-roll with John Stockton for two decades and never got hurt. He was a machine. Being the all time leader in points is as much about the training room as it is about the hardwood.
The Three-Point Revolution and the Future
Will LeBron's record be broken? Probably. Eventually.
The game has changed too much for it not to happen. Back when Kareem was playing, the three-point line barely existed (or didn't exist at all for much of his career). Now, guys like Luka Dončić or Victor Wembanyama are coming into the league as teenagers and launching ten triples a night.
If you're looking for the next all time leader in points, you have to look at the "pace and space" era. Scoring is higher now than it’s been in forty years. Teams routinely put up 120 points a game. In the 90s, a final score of 88-82 was a standard Tuesday night. More possessions mean more shots. More shots mean more points.
But there’s a catch.
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Modern players also "load manage." They sit out back-to-back games. They take nights off to preserve their health. You can’t become the all time leader in points if you're only playing 55 games a year. LeBron’s greatness isn't just that he scored; it’s that he showed up. He played through the rolled ankles and the flu.
What the Stats Don’t Tell You
Numbers are flat. They don't show the context of the eras.
When Wilt Chamberlain was dropping 50 points a game, he was doing it against guys who were essentially part-time insurance salesmen compared to today's athletes. Yet, Wilt isn't the all time leader in points. He "only" has 31,419. He retired early. He got bored. He wanted to play volleyball.
To hold this record, you need a specific type of mental sickness. You have to want to win—and score—every single night for twenty years. You have to be okay with the monotony of the grind.
Kevin Durant is perhaps the most natural scorer we've ever seen. He makes it look effortless. But the Achilles tear in 2019 cost him a year and a half. Those are thousands of points he'll never get back. That’s the razor’s edge of this record. One bad landing and the chase is over.
The Regular Season vs. Playoffs Distinction
It’s worth noting that when people talk about the all time leader in points, they are strictly talking about the regular season.
If you include the playoffs, LeBron James distanced himself from the pack years ago. He has played an entire extra "career" in the postseason. He has over 8,000 playoff points. For context, most Hall of Famers don't even get 2,000.
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This is where the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of the record comes into play. If we are judging the "greatest scorer," we have to account for the pressure of June. Scoring 30 in a blowout in January against a tanking team is one thing. Doing it in Game 7 of the Finals is another. LeBron is the leader in both, which sorta ends the argument about his "scoring" ability.
Misconceptions About the List
- "It's just about longevity." If it were just about playing a long time, Vince Carter would be higher. He played 22 seasons but finished 20th. You still have to be elite every night.
- "The three-pointer made it easy for LeBron." Actually, LeBron is mostly a rim-attacker. He’s developed a shot, but he’s not Steph Curry. He did most of his damage in the paint.
- "Jordan would be #1 if he didn't retire." This is the biggest "what if." Jordan missed nearly five prime seasons due to retirements and baseball. If he plays those years, he likely ends up with 40,000+. But he didn't. Availability is a skill.
How to Track the Scoring Race Yourself
If you’re a basketball nerd trying to see who might catch up, don't just look at the total points. Look at the "Points Per Game" (PPG) relative to age.
Luka Dončić is on a ridiculous trajectory. He’s been an All-NBA First Team talent since he was 20. But the question isn't "Can he score?" The question is "How will his body look in 2035?"
To truly understand the all time leader in points chase, you should:
- Watch the "Games Played" column. If a young star is already missing 20 games a year, they won't catch LeBron.
- Factor in the "Free Throw Attempt" rate. As players age, they lose their jump shot, but they can still get to the line. This is how Kobe and Kareem stayed relevant late in their careers.
- Check the TS% (True Shooting Percentage). It’s not just about how many you get; it’s about how many shots you took to get there.
The record is currently held by a man who is still active. Every night LeBron James steps on the floor, he sets a new ceiling. He’s not just the all time leader in points; he’s a living testament to what happens when world-class talent meets obsessive professional discipline.
The bar isn't just high. It’s in the stratosphere.
For anyone looking to dive deeper into the history of the league, start by looking at the box scores from the early 80s versus today. You’ll see how the spacing changed, how the lane opened up, and why it’s both easier to score now and harder to stay healthy long enough to matter.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Analyze the "Active Leaders" list: Keep an eye on Kevin Durant and James Harden. While they won't catch LeBron, they are climbing into the top 10 and top 15 respectively.
- Study the 1983-84 Season: This was the year Kareem took the record from Wilt Chamberlain. It provides great context on how the game was played before the three-point line became a primary weapon.
- Monitor the 40,000 point club: LeBron is the founding (and currently only) member. Watching how far he pushes that number will determine if the record is "broken" or "untouchable" for the next century.