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NBA all-time scoring leaders: LeBron James breaks Kareem’s record [UPDATED]

By Cody Williams

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a basket at the Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This basket would now make James the 3rd all-time scorer in the NBA, passing Kobe Bryant, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone at the Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a basket at the Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This basket would now make James the 3rd all-time scorer in the NBA, passing Kobe Bryant, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone at the Wells Fargo Center on January 25, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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LeBron James is on track to break the NBA all-time scoring record but who else is on the list of career points leaders? We look at the list. 

By the end of his NBA career, there might not be many records that LeBron James won’t hold. Or, at the very least, he will hold one of the most coveted and sometimes called unachievable records in the history of the league: The NBA all-time scoring leader.

James, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2003, is on the cusp of breaking one of the most illustrious records in the history of basketball. It often seems impossible to think that a player could top the mark of 38,387 career points scored, but LeBron is almost there.

But as he makes his move to do so, it’s worth looking at the NBA all-time scoring leaders to see the greats that James is undoubtedly with in this venture.

NBA all-time scoring leaders

  1. LeBron James – 38,388 (and counting)
  2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38,387
  3. Karl Malone – 36,928
  4. Kobe Bryant – 33,643
  5. Michael Jordan – 32,292
  6. Dirk Nowitzki – 31,560
  7. Wilt Chamberlain – 31,419
  8. Shaquille O’Neal – 28,596
  9. Carmelo Anthony – 28,289
  10. Moses Malone – 27,409

LeBron James is the only active player in the top 10 of the all-time scoring leaders. However, perhaps the most interesting inclusion on the list is Carmelo Anthony. Though Melo had a phenomenal and productive career, it’s truly wild to think that he’s put his name on a list of the greatest to ever play the game in terms of scoring.

How close is LeBron James to breaking the NBA all-time scoring record?

Entering Tuesday night’s game against the Thunder in Los Angeles, LeBron was 35 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That obviously means he needed 36 points in order to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

Late in the third quarter, though, he made history as he drilled a fadeaway jumper for his 36th point of the night and to become the NBA’s scoring king.

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