LeBron James is playing his 22nd season in the NBA. He is doing things at 40 years old that no other player before him has done. By now, it is clear that LeBron will have almost every longevity record possible. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most career points in the regular season two years ago and is closing on an iconic milestone.
LeBron James is Closing on an Iconic Milestone
As of February 18th, LeBron has 49,803 career points. He is only 197 points away from reaching 50k career points, something that is almost impossible to imagine, let alone achieve. LeBron has scored 8,162 career playoff points and 41,641 career regular-season points.
This year, LeBron averages 24.3 points per game on 51.6 shooting from the floor. With that pace, he will need nine more games to reach 50k points. But if he gets hot from the floor, he might reach the milestone sooner. In the last five games, he has had two notable scoring outbursts of 42 and 33 points.
Comparing LeBron James’ Career Points to Great Scorers
To put things in perspective, Kevin Durant, one of the best scorers during LeBron’s age, only recently hit 30k points. He joined the league four years after LeBron but has battled injuries and has missed a lot more time. Durant has yet to hit 5k playoff career points, while LeBron has more than 8k.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the man who held the record for most points, has a total of 44,149 career points. Michael Jordan, who many consider the greatest player of all time, has less than 40k career points (playoffs and regular season). Kobe Bryant is slightly below 40k total points, having scored a total of 39,283.
In other words, LeBron has almost 10k points more than Kobe and MJ, and five thousand more than Kareem. That is the true testament of LBJ’s legacy, his longevity, and his consistency. From his second year in the league up until last year, LeBron has averaged 25+ points in each season. That is 20 seasons of 25+ points per game. This year, he is a little below 25, meaning his streak might end.
How Long Will LeBron Go?
The Lakers recently acquired young superstar Luka Doncic. This is the first time LeBron has someone better than him on the team. We can argue about Anthony Davis, but he was never better than LeBron during their time together in LA.
Even the King himself has pondered the idea of playing more seasons now that Luka is in Los Angeles. He has one more year left on his contract after this one. But if he extends his playing career, LeBron can become a unique player in one more sense. He can be the first, probably only one in a long time, to have played with both of his sons in the league. Bryce James, his younger son, might get into the league for the 2026-27 season. He is eligible to enter the 2026 draft. LeBron’s contract ends after the 2025-26 season. Will he consider one more year to play with both Bronny James and Bryce James? That would be an unprecedented, iconic moment.
Photo credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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