LeBron James first NBA player to score combined 50K points in regular season, playoffs

LeBron James continues to rewrite the NBA record book.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar became the first NBA player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and playoffs, reaching the milestone on Tuesday during a 136-115 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans.

James is the NBA’s career leader in regular-season scoring with 41,871 points, and is tops in the postseason with 8,162, according to Pro-Basketball-Reference.com.

James needed one point to reach the plateau heading into Tuesday’s game. He reached the milestone on his first shot, hitting a 3-pointer with 8:34 left in the first quarter to give Los Angeles a 13-6 lead, ESPN reported.

“It’s a hell of a lot of points, and I’m super blessed to be able to put that many points up in the best league in the world with the best players in the world over my career,” James told Spectrum SportsNet in an on-court interview after the game. “It’s pretty special.”

James finished the game with 34 points, 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Lakers (39-21), who have won 17 of their past 20 games and moved into second place in the NBA’s Western Conference.

The 22-year veteran is far ahead of the No. 2 player on the combined points list: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who finished his 20-season career with 44,149 points, according to The Associated Press.

In 28 games since turning 40 on Dec. 30, James is averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists, ESPN reported.

“I mean, that’s a lot of points,” James said after Tuesday’s game. “Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is where I’m from. Picking up the game when I was a little kid and having a love for the sport, and hoping that someday I’d be able to play at the highest level. I’ve been able to do that and really enjoy my career. So it’s definitely an honor. It’s pretty cool to see that.”

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