LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to reach 43,000 career points, hitting the milestone during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-89 loss to the Boston Celtics.
James, 41, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous all-time record of 38,387 points in 2023 and has continued to extend the mark in the seasons since. He is averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in his 23rd NBA season.
The milestone came in a game the Lakers lost by 22 points, with Boston’s defense holding Los Angeles to 89 points. Luka Dončić acknowledged the performance gap, saying, “I think they were very physical, but they were playing great defense, so we need to do better on offense. We scored 89 points, that’s not like us. So, we gotta be better.”
LeBron reaches 43,000 points while averaging 21.7 PPG at age 41
James’ scoring production in his 23rd season remains significant even as his per-game average has declined from earlier career peaks. His 21.7 points per game is sufficient to continue adding to the all-time record at a pace no other player has sustained at his age.
The 43,000-point threshold places James nearly 5,000 points clear of Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record, a gap that illustrates how far James has pushed the career scoring ceiling beyond what was previously considered achievable.
How 43,000 points compares to the rest of the NBA’s all-time scoring list
Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 points stood as the record for nearly four decades before James surpassed it. Karl Malone sits third on the all-time list at 36,928 points. The distance between James at 43,000 and the next closest scorer means the record is unlikely to be challenged in the near future without a player matching both James’ per-game production and his longevity across 23 seasons.
James’ durability has been the defining factor — he has appeared in more than 1,500 regular-season games while maintaining scoring averages that kept him on pace to reach milestones that no previous player approached.
Lakers fall to 34-22 with Dončić acknowledging chemistry is still developing
The loss to Boston dropped the Lakers to 34-22 with 26 games remaining. Dončić addressed the ongoing process of building chemistry with James and Austin Reaves, saying, “I think you see, we’re not there yet. Like I said, we’re working on it. But there should be big potential about us three playing together,” he said.
The Lakers’ next game is against the Orlando Magic as the team looks to respond after being held to a season-low offensive output. With the postseason approaching, the integration of the Dončić-James-Reaves trio remains the primary variable in determining how far the Lakers can advance.