In a historic moment, LeBron James, during a March 4th win over the New Orleans Pelicans, scored his 50,000th point. This milestone puts his career total almost 6,000 points over any player in NBA history. This record is yet another for the 4-time champ who passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 regular season total in 2023 and Michael Jordan’s 5,987 playoff points. Patrick Snail ’28 said, “I was so inspired to see Leron James get his 50,000th point. It was truly a breathtaking experience that left me shellshocked in wonder.”
James, now in his 22nd season, continues to defy expectations. The tally includes his regular season games (1548), postseason (487), and international play. Over the 20+ years of his time in the league, LeBron James has had to make some adjustments, recently turning to the 3-point shot and a role as a facilitator, with almost 9 assists a game. In fitting fashion, LeBron’s record-breaking 3-point shot came off an assist from Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, acquired earlier this season. Doncic weighed in on LeBron’s achievement after the game, “It’s amazing, watching him do this stuff at this age,” Doncic’s words, no doubt, mirror those of befuddled and amazed fans who’ve seen LeBron continue his reign of dominance over the NBA. His son, Bronny, played 4 minutes in the very same game his father passed an unheard-of milestone. This type of longevity has never been seen before.
LeBron James himself, who’s spent more years playing professional basketball than not, reflected on what it took to get to this point: “So the process — trying not to fall out of love with the process is the hardest thing.” From his debut as the most highly touted high-school prospect in 2003, LeBron has had to maintain unprecedented consistency, continuing to amaze fans and critics alike.