LeBron James added another major milestone to his résumé Sunday night as he continues his march to passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for first place on the all-time scoring list.
Facing the 76ers in Los Angeles, the Lakers superstar made NBA history by becoming the youngest player to score 38,000 career points, joining Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to ever reach that mark. James’s latest accolade also inched him closer to passing Kareem’s vaunted benchmark of 38,387 career points.
James, who’s been on a tear in his 20th NBA season, eclipsed the mark with a midrange jumper off an assist from Russell Westbrook with 5:43 to play in the first quarter, giving him exactly 38,001 points in his career.
As has been the case throughout his illustrious career, James has continued to amaze while again leading the charge in a do-it-all role, though the Anthony Davis-less Lakers have still struggled. L.A entered Sunday night ranked 13th in the West with a 19–23 record.
Still, James has maintained solid numbers across the board, averaging 29 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in his 32 starts. At his current pace, the 38-year-old could pass Kareem for the NBA’s all-time scoring title around the All-Star break, which is set to take place in Utah from Feb. 17-19.
