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Basketball is a sport that has gained worldwide popularity, with leagues and tournaments taking place across the globe. The NBA is one of the most popular basketball leagues in the world, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the games. With such a large following, the NBA has seen some of the greatest basketball players of all time, including the top scorer in the history of the sport, LeBron James. With over 50,000 points scored during his 22-year career, James has not only dominated the NBA but has also achieved remarkable success, making him a legend in the world of basketball.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | LeBron James |
| Total points scored | Over 50,000 |
| NBA points scored | Over 40,000 |
| Record broken | April 2, 2024 |
| Previous record holder | Oscar Schmidt (49,737 points) |
| Longest-held record | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1984-2023) |
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What You'll Learn
All-time top scorer: LeBron James
As of March 2025, LeBron James is the all-time top scorer in the history of basketball. With over 50,000 points scored during his 22-year career, he is the only player to have surpassed 40,000 regular-season points in the NBA. James broke Oscar Schmidt's record of 49,737 points on April 2, 2024.
James is also the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who held the record for 38 years from 1984 to 2023. Abdul-Jabbar was the first player to eclipse 35,000 career points.
In addition to his NBA career, James has also scored points in international club games. On October 22, 2010, he scored 22 points for Miami Heat in a game against CSKA Moscow. He also scored 12 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers against Olympiacos on October 9, 2009, and 13 points on October 17, 2009.
LeBron James has also scored 434 points in the NBA All-Star Games and 53 in the Rising Challenge in 2004 and 2005. His remarkable scoring ability highlights his skills and determination, solidifying his place as one of the finest players in the league's history.
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Longest-held record: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a former American basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. He is regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, widely recognised for his trademark skyhook shot. Abdul-Jabbar held the record for the highest scorer in NBA history for nearly 39 years, from 1984 to 2023. This is the longest in NBA history, with the record being broken by LeBron James in 2023.
Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, and played basketball at Power Memorial, a private Catholic high school in New York City. He led his team to 71 consecutive wins and was a three-time most outstanding player of the NCAA tournament. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and played for them for six seasons, leading the team to its first NBA championship in 1971 at the age of 24.
During the summer of 1968, Alcindor converted to Sunni Islam and adopted the Arabic name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which translates to "noble one, servant of the Almighty". He began using this name publicly in 1971. In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career, winning five NBA championships.
Abdul-Jabbar won a record six NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and was a 19-time NBA All-Star. He was a member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach. He was also a two-time NBA Finals MVP and was named to the 35th, 50th, and 75th NBA anniversary teams. Abdul-Jabbar was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognising his outstanding career and impact on the sport.
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First to eclipse 10,000 points: George Mikan
While LeBron James is the leading scorer in NBA history, George Mikan was the first player to eclipse 10,000 career points. Mikan, nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was a 6-foot 10-inch, 245-pound centre who played for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Mikan was a pioneer of professional basketball, helping to redefine the game as one dominated by "big men". His prolific rebounding, shot-blocking, and ability to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot all contributed to his success. Mikan also used the underhanded free-throw shooting technique, later made famous by Rick Barry. In addition to his scoring prowess, Mikan was known for his leadership, guiding the Lakers to three straight NBA championships and five in six years.
Mikan's scoring achievements began early in his career. In his first season with the Lakers, he led the league in scoring with 1,195 points, becoming the only NBL player to score more than 1,000 points in an NBL season. He was named the league's MVP, and the Lakers won the NBL title. The following year, Mikan led the BAA in scoring, and the Lakers won another championship. When the BAA and NBL merged to form the NBA, Mikan continued his dominance, leading the league in scoring once again.
Despite his success, Mikan's career was not without its challenges. He often played through injuries, including ten broken bones and sixteen stitches. In the middle of the 1955–56 NBA season, Mikan returned to the Lakers lineup after a long absence. However, his play had declined, and he averaged only 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. At the end of the season, Mikan retired, finishing his career with 10,156 points, a record at the time. Mikan was inducted into the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame class of 1959 and was declared the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press.
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Most points in a single game: Wilt Chamberlain
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game, setting the NBA's single-game scoring record. Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors and achieved this feat in a 169-147 win against the New York Knicks. This record has stood for over six decades and is widely considered one of the greatest achievements in basketball history.
Chamberlain's performance included 23 points in the first quarter, 41 in the first half, 28 in the third, and 31 in the final quarter to reach the century mark. He played all 48 minutes of the game and had a remarkable shooting percentage of 36-of-63 (57.1%) from the field and 28-of-32 (87.5%) from the free-throw line, despite being a career 51.1% foul shooter. He also added 25 rebounds and two assists to his tally.
The game took place at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The basket rims at the arena were older and less firm, which may have contributed to Chamberlain's high scoring. The Knicks employed a strategy of fouling other players to keep the ball away from Chamberlain in the fourth quarter, but it did not prevent him from reaching the 100-point milestone.
The iconic image of Chamberlain holding up a piece of paper with "100" written on it, captured by Associated Press photographer Paul Vathis, has endured as one of the most memorable moments in basketball history. Oscar Robertson, a Hall of Famer, even suggested that Chamberlain's achievement helped save the NBA, as it attracted attention and fans to the league.
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Leading scorer outside the NBA: Oscar Schmidt
While NBA players like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have broken scoring records within the league, Oscar Schmidt is recognised as the greatest scorer in basketball history outside of the NBA. With over 49,000 career points, Schmidt's scoring total unofficially far exceeds Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record of 38,387 points.
Nicknamed "Mão Santa" ("Holy Hand"), Schmidt was a 6'9" Brazilian shooting guard/small forward with a 29-year career, playing for eight teams from 1974 to 2003. He declined offers to play in the NBA, as signing would have made him ineligible to play for the Brazilian National Team, which he led to five consecutive Olympic Games (1980–1996) and three South American Championships (1977, 1979, 1985).
Schmidt was the top scorer in the Italian First Division seven times during his club career in Italy, and was the Top Scorer in the Spanish ACB League in the 1993–94 season. He was also the top scorer in the Brazilian League in each of his last eight seasons (1996–2003). With the senior Brazilian national team, Schmidt played in five Summer Olympics, and was the top scorer in three of them. In 38 career Olympic basketball games, he scored a record 1,093 points, for an average of 28.8 points per game.
Schmidt is also the all-time career leader in total points scored in the FIBA World Cup, with 843 points in 33 games, for a scoring average of 25.5 points per game. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Frequently asked questions
LeBron James is basketball's all-time top scorer with over 50,000 points scored during his 22-year career. He is also the NBA's all-time leading scorer and the only player to have surpassed 40,000 regular-season points in the league.
Other top scorers in the history of the NBA include Oscar Schmidt, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Oscar Schmidt held a record with 49,737 points. LeBron James broke this record on April 2, 2024.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points. He held the NBA record for 38 years, 10 months, and 2 days (14,187 days) from 1984 to 2023.
