With his final pair of free throws in the Lakers' 132-123 win in Houston, LeBron James passed yet another milestone.
Those final two points helped The King reach and surpass 36,000 career points, making him the youngest ever to reach that landmark at 36 years and 363 days.
Congratulations to LeBron James (@KingJames) of the @Lakers on becoming the third player in NBA history to eclipse 36,000 points scored 👑 pic.twitter.com/6OdM7Vk5dG
— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2021
James is the highest-ranked active player on the all-time scoring list and could go on to rise to the top of the leaderboard by the end of his career. Sitting atop the list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a position he has held since 1984, whose 38,387 points are the most in NBA history.
LeBron's historic achievement comes in a game where he finished with his third triple-double of the season. The statline extends his record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history for a player above the age of 35.
LeBron James tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 29, 2021
32 PTS
11 REB
11 AST
11-19 FG
It’s his 5th 30-point triple-double since turning 35. The rest of NBA history has 2. pic.twitter.com/lyp3NfMOE1
Take a look at the full list of the NBA's top-25 all-time leading scorers below.
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Which players are top 25 on the NBA's all-time scoring list?
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38,387 |
| 2. | Karl Malone | 36,928 |
| 3. | LeBron James | 36,001 |
| 4. | Kobe Bryant | 33,643 |
| 5. | Michael Jordan | 32,292 |
| 6. | Dirk Nowitzki | 31,560 |
| 7. | Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 |
| 8. | Shaquille O'Neal | 28,596 |
| 9. | Carmelo Anthony | 27,844 |
| 10. | Moses Malone | 27,409 |
| 11. | Elvin Hayes | 27,313 |
| 12. | Hakeem Olajuwon | 26,946 |
| 13. | Oscar Robertson | 26,710 |
| 14. | Dominique Wilkins | 26,668 |
| 15. | Tim Duncan | 26,496 |
| 16. | Paul Pierce | 26,397 |
| 17. | John Havlicek | 26,395 |
| 18. | Kevin Garnett | 26,071 |
| 19. | Vince Carter | 25,728 |
| 20. | Alex English | 25,613 |
| 21. | Reggie Miller | 25,279 |
| 22. | Jerry West | 25,192 |
| 23. | Patrick Ewing | 24,815 |
| 24. | Kevin Durant | 24,686 |
| 25. | Ray Allen | 24,505 |
| 26. | Allen Iverson | 24,368 |
* Bolded italics indicates active players.