Even in a rough season team-wise, there’s a silver lining for LeBron James when it comes to individual accolades. The last one is a pretty big deal: during the game vs. the Warriors, he just became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer when combining points in the regular season and playoffs. (If you include play-in tournament scoring, he actually became the top NBA scorer in the Lakers’ loss to Portland).
King James still trails Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in regular-season scoring, though he’s on track to pass him there as well next season.
Below, we present the top scorers in NBA history using their regular season and playoff total points combined.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Overall stats: 27.3 ppg on 50.2 FG%, 34.3 3P% and 73.5 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.1 ppg on 50.5 FG%, 34.5 3P% and 73.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 28.7 ppg on 49.5 FG%, 33.7 3P% and 74.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.38
Overall stats: 24.6 ppg on 55.6 FG% and 72.4 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.6 ppg on 55.9 FG% and 72.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.3 ppg on 53.3 FG% and 74.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.35
Overall stats: 25.0 ppg on 50.9 FG% and 74.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 25.0 ppg on 51.6 FG% and 74.2 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.7 ppg on 46.3 FG% and 73.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.39
Overall stats: 25.1 ppg on 44.7 FG%, 33.0 3P% and 83.4 FT%
Regular season stats: 25.0 ppg on 44.7 FG%, 32.9 3P% and 83.7 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.6 ppg on 44.8 FG%, 33.1 3P% and 81.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.28
Overall stats: 30.6 ppg on 49.5 FG%, 32.8 3P% and 83.4 FT%
Regular season stats: 30.1 ppg on 49.7 FG%, 32.7 3P% and 83.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 33.4 ppg on 48.7 FG%, 33.2 3P% and 82.8 FT%
Points per shot: 1.32
Overall stats: 21.1 ppg on 47.0 FG%, 37.9 3P% and 88.0 FT%
Regular season stats: 20.7 ppg on 47.1 FG%, 38.0 3P% and 87.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.3 ppg on 46.2 FG%, 36.5 3P% and 89.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.34
Overall stats: 29.1 ppg on 53.8 FG% and 50.5 FT%
Regular season stats: 30.1 ppg on 54.0 FG% and 51.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.5 ppg on 52.2 FG% and 46.5 FT%
Points per shot: 1.34
Overall stats: 23.8 ppg on 57.9 FG% and 52.3 FT%
Regular season stats: 23.7 ppg on 58.2 FG% and 52.7 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.3 ppg on 56.3 FG% and 50.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.47
Overall stats: 19.3 ppg on 50.5 FG% and 69.5 FT%
Regular season stats: 19.0 ppg on 50.6 FG% and 69.6 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.6 ppg on 50.1 FG% and 68.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.30
Overall stats: 22.2 ppg on 51.4 FG% and 71.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.8 ppg on 51.2 FG% and 71.2 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.9 ppg on 52.8 FG% and 71.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.29
Overall stats: 20.9 ppg on 43.9 FG% and 81.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 20.8 ppg on 43.9 FG% and 81.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.0 ppg on 43.6 FG% and 83.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.11
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Overall stats: 22.6 ppg on 44.4 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 81.4 FT%
Regular season stats: 22.6 ppg on 44.7 FG%, 35.6 3P% and 81.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 23.1 ppg on 41.4 FG%, 32.4 3P% and 82.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.25
Overall stats: 27.3 ppg on 47.3 FG% and 81.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.0 ppg on 47.4 FG% and 81.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 29.1 ppg on 46.9 FG% and 80.5 FT%
Points per shot: 1.32
Overall stats: 19.5 ppg on 44.3 FG%, 36.7 3P% and 80.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 19.7 ppg on 44.5 FG%, 36.8 3P% and 80.6 FT%
Playoff stats: 18.7 ppg on 42.3 FG%, 35.5 3P% and 83.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.35
Overall stats: 21.1 ppg on 45.3 FG% and 66.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.0 ppg on 45.2 FG% and 67.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.9 ppg on 46.4 FG% and 65.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.13
Overall stats: 20.7 ppg on 49.0 FG% and 76.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 20.6 ppg on 49.1 FG% and 76.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.1 ppg on 47.9 FG% and 76.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.42
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Overall stats: 27.3 ppg on 49.2 FG%, 37.8 3P% and 88.0 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.1 ppg on 49.5 FG%, 38.3 3P% and 88.3 FT%
Playoff stats: 29.5 ppg on 47.8 FG%, 35.7 3P% and 86.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.44
Overall stats: 17.9 ppg on 49.5 FG% and 78.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 17.8 ppg on 49.7 FG% and 78.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 18.2 ppg on 47.8 FG% and 78.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.23
Overall stats: 25.4 ppg on 48.3 FG% and 83.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 25.7 ppg on 48.5 FG% and 83.8 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.2 ppg on 46.0 FG% and 85.5 FT%
Points per shot: 1.36
Overall stats: 18.4 ppg on 46.9 FG%, 39.4 3P% and 88.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 18.2 ppg on 47.1 FG%, 39.5 3P% and 88.8 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.6 ppg on 44.9 FG%, 39.0 3P% and 89.3 FT%
Points per shot: 1.44
Overall stats: 24.9 ppg on 46.0 FG%, 31.7 3P% and 81.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.8 ppg on 46.1 FG%, 31.9 3P% and 81.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.4 ppg on 42.9 FG%, 28.1 3P% and 82.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.23
Overall stats: 20.9 ppg on 50.0 FG% and 73.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.0 ppg on 50.4 FG% and 74.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.2 ppg on 46.9 FG% and 71.8 FT%
Points per shot: 1.28
Overall stats: 16.8 ppg on 43.4 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 79.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 16.7 ppg on 43.5 FG%, 37.1 3P% and 79.8 FT%
Playoff stats: 18.1 ppg on 41.6 FG%, 33.8 3P% and 79.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.20
Overall stats: 21.6 ppg on 50.6 FG% and 83.4 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.5 ppg on 50.7 FG% and 83.2 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.4 ppg on 50.3 FG% and 86.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.22
Overall stats: 18.5 ppg on 45.1 FG%, 40.0 3P% and 89.3 FT%
Regular season stats: 18.9 ppg on 45.2 FG%, 40.0 3P% and 89.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 16.1 ppg on 44.3 FG%, 40.1 3P% and 88.3 FT%
Points per shot: 1.29
Overall stats: 22.0 ppg on 47.9 FG%, 29.9 3P% and 76.7 FT%
Regular season stats: 22.0 ppg on 48.0 FG%, 29.3 3P% and 76.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.3 ppg on 47.4 FG%, 33.8 3P% and 78.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.31
Overall stats: 27.3 ppg on 43.2 FG% and 77.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.4 ppg on 43.1 FG% and 78.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 27.0 ppg on 43.9 FG% and 76.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.15
Overall stats: 22.2 ppg on 53.8 FG%, 26.5 3P% and 73.3 FT%
Regular season stats: 22.1 ppg on 54.1 FG%, 26.6 3P% and 73.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 23.0 ppg on 51.3 FG%, 25.5 3P% and 71.7 FT%
Points per shot: 1.51
Overall stats: 26.9 ppg on 42.3 FG%, 31.4 3P% and 77.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 26.7 ppg on 42.5 FG%, 31.3 3P% and 78.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 29.7 ppg on 40.1 FG%, 32.7 3P% and 76.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.22
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Overall stats: 24.8 ppg on 44.0 FG%, 35.8 3P% and 85.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 25.0 ppg on 44.3 FG%, 36.2 3P% and 85.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 23.3 ppg on 42.8 FG%, 33.2 3P% and 86.8 FT%
Points per shot: 1.49
Overall stats: 14.6 ppg on 53.3 FG% and 72.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 14.5 ppg on 53.7 FG% and 72.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 15.3 ppg on 50.6 FG% and 72.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.30
Overall stats: 24.2 ppg on 49.2 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 88.7 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.3 ppg on 49.6 FG%, 37.6 3P% and 88.6 FT%
Playoff stats: 23.8 ppg on 47.2 FG%, 32.1 3P% and 89.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.26
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Overall stats: 23.1 ppg on 43.4 FG%, 30.3 3P% and 78.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 22.9 ppg on 43.7 FG%, 30.5 3P% and 78.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.6 ppg on 40.8 FG%, 29.6 3P% and 82.7 FT%
Points per shot: 1.22
Overall stats: 20.9 ppg on 46.9 FG%, 31.3 3P% and 78.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 20.4 ppg on 47.2 FG%, 31.8 3P% and 78.8 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.4 ppg on 44.7 FG%, 28.8 3P% and 78.7 FT%
Points per shot: 1.25
Overall stats: 24.1 ppg on 53.9 FG% and 81.7 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.3 ppg on 54.0 FG% and 81.8 FT%
Playoff stats: 21.3 ppg on 52.5 FG% and 79.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.53
Overall stats: 16.1 ppg on 46.3 FG%, 31.7 3P% and 72.7 FT%
Regular season stats: 16.3 ppg on 46.6 FG%, 31.7 3P% and 72.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 14.0 ppg on 44.1 FG%, 31.5 3P% and 70.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.16
Overall stats: 15.9 ppg on 48.6 FG%, 32.1 3P% and 74.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 15.5 ppg on 49.1 FG%, 32.4 3P% and 75.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 17.9 ppg on 46.1 FG%, 30.9 3P% and 73.1 FT%
Points per shot: 1.22
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Overall stats: 18.4 ppg on 47.3 FG%, 37.0 3P% and 86.9 FT%
Regular season stats: 18.2 ppg on 47.3 FG%, 37.0 3P% and 87.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.7 ppg on 48.1 FG%, 37.4 3P% and 85.0 FT%
Points per shot: 1.34
(Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Overall stats: 19.3 ppg on 45.0 FG% and 80.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 19.2 ppg on 45.2 FG% and 80.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.4 ppg on 42.5 FG% and 81.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.15
Overall stats: 26.3 ppg on 43.4 FG% and 76.3 FT%
Regular season stats: 26.4 ppg on 43.6 FG% and 76.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.5 ppg on 41.8 FG% and 77.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.24
