It was a historic day for the NBA on Tuesday (Mar 4) as LeBron James registered a unique record of 50,000 career points, becoming the first player to do so. Playing for Los Angeles Lakers against New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron achieved the feat in the first quarter and registered his name in the record books. He had entered the contest with 49,999 points having helped Lakers beat Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

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LeBron scripts history

One of the greatest players in NBA history, LeBron registered his name in the record books while he was playing in his 22nd season. The 40-year-old needed only one point heading into the NBA contest, which he did with ease. He scored a remarkable 25-foot three-pointer to move to 50,002 points which brought the Crypto.com Arena crowd on its feet. Luka Doncic provided the pass to the historic point as LeBron scripted history.

Now in his seventh season with LA Lakers, LeBron had surpassed Abdul-Jabbar's total tally of 44,149 in 2023 and leads the top spot with a lead of nearly 6,000 points. At the time of writing, Karl Malone sits third with 41,689 points and late Kobe Bryant is fourth with 39,283 points. Legendary Michael Jordan sits fifth on the all-time list with 38,279 points.

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Lakers legend Earvin Magic Johnson led the tributes to James' achievement.

"Congratulations to the King LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points!" Johnson wrote on X.

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When it comes to active players, Kevin Durant is roughly 15,000 points away from LeBron, which most probably will make his record remain intact for some time. Currently, Durant has amassed more than 35,000 points, keeping him at an arm’s length from the legendary player.