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LeBron James added another milestone to his legendary career on Thursday night, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in NBA history. The achievement came during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
James scored 16 points in the game and broke Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 15,837 field goals during the first quarter. The accomplishment adds to a growing list of records for the 41 year old star, who is currently competing in his historic 23rd NBA season.
James had already surpassed Abdul-Jabbar in February 2023 to become the NBA’s all time leading scorer. His career scoring total has continued to climb since then. Last year, he became the first player in league history to record more than 50,000 combined points across the regular season and playoffs. In regular season games alone, he has now accumulated 43,127 points.
Reflecting on the latest record, James said it remains humbling to be mentioned alongside the greatest players in basketball history. He explained that while growing up, he admired many of the legends who came before him and hoped that if he reached the NBA, he would perform well enough to be remembered among them.
James added that the accomplishment still feels difficult to fully process. Even with decades of success, he said it can be challenging to grasp the scale of what he has achieved during his career.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick compared James’ long and evolving career to that of legendary musician Bruce Springsteen. Redick said that just like a musician who builds an incredible catalogue of hits over time, James continues to add new highlights and achievements even after more than two decades in the league.
Abdul-Jabbar had held the field goals record for many years. The six time NBA champion played most of his 20 year career with the Lakers and retired in 1989. During his time in the league, he made 55.9 percent of his 28,307 field goal attempts. James currently has a shooting percentage of 51.6 percent.
James may soon add another milestone. Thursday’s game marked his 1,606th regular season appearance, leaving him just five games behind
Robert Parish for the most games played in NBA history.
Earlier this year, James also earned his 22nd NBA All Star selection. Despite his continued success, he has not yet confirmed whether he plans to return for another season.
In Thursday’s matchup, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 28 points to help secure the victory. The Nuggets remain fifth in the Western Conference standings, just ahead of the Lakers.
Elsewhere in the league, the San Antonio Spurs recorded their 13th win in 14 games with a 121-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with an impressive performance, finishing with 38 points and 16 rebounds.
James scored 16 points in the game and broke Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 15,837 field goals during the first quarter. The accomplishment adds to a growing list of records for the 41 year old star, who is currently competing in his historic 23rd NBA season.
James had already surpassed Abdul-Jabbar in February 2023 to become the NBA’s all time leading scorer. His career scoring total has continued to climb since then. Last year, he became the first player in league history to record more than 50,000 combined points across the regular season and playoffs. In regular season games alone, he has now accumulated 43,127 points.
Reflecting on the latest record, James said it remains humbling to be mentioned alongside the greatest players in basketball history. He explained that while growing up, he admired many of the legends who came before him and hoped that if he reached the NBA, he would perform well enough to be remembered among them.
James added that the accomplishment still feels difficult to fully process. Even with decades of success, he said it can be challenging to grasp the scale of what he has achieved during his career.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick compared James’ long and evolving career to that of legendary musician Bruce Springsteen. Redick said that just like a musician who builds an incredible catalogue of hits over time, James continues to add new highlights and achievements even after more than two decades in the league.
Abdul-Jabbar had held the field goals record for many years. The six time NBA champion played most of his 20 year career with the Lakers and retired in 1989. During his time in the league, he made 55.9 percent of his 28,307 field goal attempts. James currently has a shooting percentage of 51.6 percent.
James may soon add another milestone. Thursday’s game marked his 1,606th regular season appearance, leaving him just five games behind
Robert Parish for the most games played in NBA history.
Earlier this year, James also earned his 22nd NBA All Star selection. Despite his continued success, he has not yet confirmed whether he plans to return for another season.
In Thursday’s matchup, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each scored 28 points to help secure the victory. The Nuggets remain fifth in the Western Conference standings, just ahead of the Lakers.
Elsewhere in the league, the San Antonio Spurs recorded their 13th win in 14 games with a 121-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with an impressive performance, finishing with 38 points and 16 rebounds.
