LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason.
James surpassed the mark with a 3-pointer early in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The 40-year-old James finished with 34 points, pushing his regular-season record to 41,871. He is also the leading scorer in postseason history (8,162 points) during a career in which he has reset all previous standards for longevity.
James reached 50,000 points deep into his 22nd season, which ties him with Vince Carter for the most played in NBA history. Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons before retiring in 1989, is second in NBA history with 44,149 combined points.
And while nearly every other NBA player who lasted to his late 30s finished at a fraction of his peak powers, James’ game shows no significant signs of decline.
He was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month earlier Tuesday after he averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals in February, the oldest player to earn the award and the 41st time overall.
