Lebron James hits 39,000 points, Kevin Durant 11th best scorer

The Los Angeles Lakers beat Utah 131-99 at home and the best scorer in NBA history Lebron James broke the 39,000-point mark. Kevin Durant moved up to 11th on the all-time scoring list. He helped Phoenix beat Portland by 31 points.

The Los Angeles Lakers, along with the Indiana Pacers, are the first to advance to the quarterfinals of the new NBA tournament. It is played as part of the regular season. The Lakers did it after beating Utah to dominate their group undefeated.

Anthony Davis was the biggest contributor to the win, scoring 26 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. And of course, the ageless James, who scored 17 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds to extend his NBA record to 39,012 points. Once again, he’s approaching the mythical 40,000-point mark.

He reached the 39,000-point mark in the first quarter with a successful three-pointer. In the quarter-finals of the tournament, the Lakers will play the best team in the regular season on their home floor against the team that receives the wild card in the Western Conference.

LEBRON JAMES HAS 39,000 CAREER POINTS AND COUNTING!!! 🐐pic.twitter.com/uwFPZZER1X

— TNT Sports (@tntsports) November 22, 2023

“I was congratulated by my teammates and coaches, but I haven’t had a chance to realize what it means. So many great players and shooters have come through this league. To be the first to achieve something like this, I think that’s always great.”

In his 21st NBA season, there’s no indication that James has eased up on his superior performances. On the contrary, he already averages 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Moreover, he has already surpassed the 30-point mark five times in the last 8 games. And by the end of February, he could already break the 40,000-point mark.

Only 7 players in the entire history of the league have broken the 30,000-point mark. James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419).

Durant played his 1,000th regular season game

Phoenix’s Kevin Durant contributed 31 points on his home floor in the win against Portland. He has now scored 27,331 points, replacing Elvin Hayes as the 11th all-time leading scorer. Moses Malone is also within reach, holding the tenth position with 27,409 points.

Two other active players are within sight of the 25,000-point mark. Moreover, they are teammates of the Los Angeles Clippers and they are James Harden, who currently has 24,805 points, and Russell Westbrook, who has reached 24,615 points so far. This year’s NBA season will be full of milestones.

Source: NBA