LeBron James Nears 40,000 Points: 40 Stats on His Scoring Journey

LeBron James is on the cusp of making NBA history as the first player to reach 40,000 career points. With just 40 points away from this milestone, let’s dive into 40 intriguing stats about LeBron’s remarkable scoring journey.

Longevity

1. LeBron James holds the NBA record for the longest streak of scoring at least 10 points in consecutive games, with 1,203 games, surpassing Michael Jordan’s streak of 866 games.
2. He has ranked in the top 20 in points per game for an unprecedented 21 straight seasons, a testament to his enduring scoring prowess.
3. LeBron is both the youngest (at 21) and oldest (at 37) player to average 30 points per game in a season.
4. He’s the only player to have scored 40 or more points against every NBA team.
5. LeBron has achieved a 40-point game in every season of his career except for the 2015-16 season.
6. Surprisingly, he is averaging the same number of points per 36 minutes this season as his career average.
7. LeBron possesses the 13 highest-scoring games in NBA history for a player in their 21st season or later.
8. In his 21st season, LeBron is averaging 25.2 points per game, a feat unmatched by any other player in their 21st season or later.
9. He has scored over 2,500 career points against franchises that have either relocated or changed their names.
10. LeBron is the sole player to rank in the top 10 for both career scoring average and games played.
11. He holds the distinction of being the oldest player in the NBA, maintaining a double-digit scoring average at age 37.
12. LeBron’s first NBA points were scored over two decades ago against the Sacramento Kings, a team that featured the father of current player Jabari Smith Jr.
13. Looking ahead, LeBron could be the first player to score as a teenager and in his 40s.

Wow Numbers

14. LeBron James has accumulated more career points than the combined totals of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
15. Even if LeBron went scoreless in 125 consecutive games, his career scoring average would still surpass Kobe Bryant’s.
16. He surpassed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list approximately five years ago.
17. Remarkably, if LeBron never made a single three-pointer or free throw in his career, he would still have more points than Kevin Durant.
18. He has scored 133 points in games where his team was eliminated from playoff contention, representing a mere 0.3% of his career total.
19. LeBron has tallied more points since the 2012-13 season than Tracy McGrady did in his entire career.
20. He has amassed over 11,000 points since his last fouling out in a game in April 2017.
21. LeBron has recorded more 50-point games than all Celtics players combined.
22. He has more career 50-point games than games where he scored in single digits.
23. A full season of LeBron’s lowest-scoring games would still equate to the career scoring average of Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.
24. LeBron has never scored exactly 49 points in a regular-season game (although he has achieved this twice in the playoffs).
25. He clinched his only scoring title in the same season Kevin Durant made his rookie debut with the Seattle SuperSonics.
26. Even if LeBron missed 304 consecutive shots, he would maintain a career field goal percentage of exactly 50.0%.
27. Surprisingly, LeBron does not hold the record for the highest-scoring game against any single franchise in NBA history.
28. The first players to reach 30,000, 35,000, and soon 40,000 career points all accomplished this feat while wearing a Lakers uniform.
29. LeBron has scored the most points against the Chicago Bulls in his career, amassing 1,803 points.

Incredible Scoring Feats

30. LeBron owns the record for the most points scored in a single game in Miami Heat history, with 61 points against the Charlotte Bobcats.
31. He holds the record for the most 30-point games on 50% shooting in NBA history, totaling 429 such games.
32. LeBron’s 13-game streak of scoring at least 25 points on 50% shooting last season ties for the longest streak since the NBA-ABA merger.
33. He is the youngest player in NBA history to reach every 1,000-point milestone from 1,000 to 39,000 points.
34. LeBron averages over 25 points per game against every NBA franchise except the Detroit Pistons.
35. He is the only player to average at least 26 points per game for three different franchises (Heat, Lakers, Cavaliers) with a minimum of 100 games played for each team.

Scoring Every Possible Way

36. LeBron James is the lone player in NBA history to rank in the top 10 for points scored from two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
37. He ranks fourth in both dunks and made 30+ footers in the shot-tracking era, a testament to his versatility.
38. LeBron leads the league in points scored in clutch situations, on fast breaks, and in the paint, since these stats were first tracked.
39. He has topped the NBA in clutch-time scoring three times since entering the league in 2003-04.
40. During his Lakers tenure, 25% of LeBron’s points come from three-pointers, a notable increase compared to his other teams.