Topline
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, 37, scored 38 points on Saturday in a loss to the Washington Wizards, passing Hall of Famer Karl Malone to become the second-leading scorer in NBA history with 36,947 career regular-season points and moving within striking distance of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record of 38,387 points.
Key Facts
James scored 38 points on 16-29 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists, but the Lakers came up short, falling to the Wizards 127-119.
James achieved the feat while having played 113 fewer regular season games than Malone, a two-time MVP who played for 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz and Lakers.
Key Background
James already holds the NBA record for most combined regular-season and postseason totals, passing Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 44,149 points last month. James’ career scoring average of 27 points per game ranks fifth all-time, trailing Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor, along with current Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. He also ranks seventh in career assists, sitting as the only player in NBA history to rank in the top 10 in both points and assists. He’s shown no signs of slowing down despite his advanced age, averaging 29.5 points per game this season for the Lakers—his highest average in 12 years. While James has been outstanding individually, his team hasn’t felt the same success: the Lakers hold at a disappointing 30-41 record, barely hanging on to the no. 9 seed in the Western Conference and outside playoff contention were it not for the recently introduced play-in tournament.
What To Watch For
If James maintains his career-scoring average of 27.1 points per game, it should take him about 54 more regular season games to pass Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time regular season record—a feat the former Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers center achieved in 1984.
What We Don’t Know
It is unclear when James will elect to retire from the NBA, given his extended excellence and historical durability. James has expressed interest in playing with his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., when he is eligible to be drafted in 2024. James will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 season.
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March 20, 2022 at 07:57AM
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LeBron James Passes Karl Malone For No. 2 Spot On All-Time Scoring List - Forbes
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