LeBron James has cemented his legacy with five NBA records that may never be broken: 50,000 career points (regular season and playoffs combined), 8,000 playoff points, 21 All-Star selections, 20 All-NBA Team honors, and Finals MVP awards with three different franchises.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar made history Tuesday night, becoming the first player to reach 50,000 combined points during the Lakers’ 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena. James hit the milestone in the first half, finishing with 34 points, while teammate Luka Dončić added 30 points and 15 assists. The arena’s video board flashed the achievement after James drained a three-pointer.
The first & only to hit 50k: LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/ks0EHSNKSV
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 5, 2025
“I’m not gonna sit here and sugarcoat it, it’s a hell of a lot of points… it’s special,” James told @LakersReporter postgame.
"I'm not gonna sit here and sugar coat it, it's a hell of a lot of points… it's special."
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 5, 2025
LBJ talks with @LakersReporter on reaching 50k points after tonight's win over the Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/qOHoaoJ7kY
The Lakers’ official X handle shared a legendary photo of LeBron James with the caption:
“WESTERN. CONFERENCE. PLAYER. OF. THE. MONTH.”
James responded with a nod to his roots, writing:
“The kid from AKRON”
The kid from AKRON 🤴🏾 https://t.co/8p5RunHwCK
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 4, 2025
Even at 40, James averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in February – his first full month playing alongside Dončić – becoming the oldest player ever to win NBA Player of the Month.
The Lakers have now produced two all-time scoring leaders, with King James following in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s footsteps. Not only is he the league’s regular-season scoring leader, but he also ranks among the greatest postseason scorers in history.
Stephen A. Smith remains torn in the never-ending James vs. Jordan GOAT debate
LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers’ veteran small forward now in his 22nd NBA season, shared an intriguing perspective on the rhythm of basketball. After a recent game, he told reporters:
“You can literally watch a game on mute and then play music at the same time and you can see the cadence of how someone dribbles or how someone moves,” James said.
LeBron James:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 5, 2025
“You can literally watch a game on mute and then play music at the same time and you can see the cadence of how someone dribbles or how someone moves.” 🎵🗣️
(via @ClutchPoints)
pic.twitter.com/Hzp4OpGi7e
Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith remains torn in the never-ending LeBron vs. Michael Jordan GOAT debate. On Wednesday’s show, however, he made what could be seen as either a peace offering or an admission of being wrong.
“In the end, the greatness that he has put on display for as long as he has put on display, I’ll even go a step further, knowing how I feel about Jordan,” Smith said, per The Sporting News. “… I actually think it’s time to not even have the debate anymore because that’s how great LeBron James has been for as long as he has been that great.”
Smith, a longtime Jordan loyalist, has often pushed back against LeBron’s claim to the throne. Just last week, he criticized James for saying NBA media coverage skews too negative.
LeBron James’ far ahead of Michael Jordan
LeBron James continues to reign supreme as the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, both in the regular season and playoffs. According to the X account LeBron History, James has amassed over 41,840 regular-season points, extending his lead over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928).
“Dad, how good was LeBron James?” pic.twitter.com/KtpY0c97AR
— LeBron History 🏀 (@bronhistory) March 5, 2025
In the postseason, James’ dominance is just as evident, with 8,162 playoff points—far ahead of Michael Jordan (5,987) and Kareem (5,762). His sustained excellence across both categories cements his legacy as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
READ: Inside NBA star LeBron James’ $101M Contract Details with the Lakers in 2025
I am a writer passionate about telling the stories behind the game of basketball. From the culture and personalities shaping the sport to the moments that define it, I explore basketball beyond the box score.
