There are not many milestones that LeBron James is still chasing. Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, he already has the most points in a career and increases his own record with each game he plays.
Following the Lakers’ second consecutive win over the Clippers, James has 41,837 career points in the regular season. He scored around 2,000 points a season in his prime, so he likely doesn’t have enough seasons left to 50,000 career points in the regular season alone.
If you add in his postseason career, James adds another 8,162 points. This gives him 49,999 career points if you count his combined points. James goes into Los Angeles’ next game just one point shy of 50,000 for his career. He is already leading in career regular-season scoring and would be the first person ever to combine for 50,000 points in his career.
Here is the most likely game for James to reach this milestone.
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How many points does LeBron James need to break 50,000 points?
James needs one point to break 50,000 career points. He is currently at 49,999 points in the regular season and playoffs combined.
When will LeBron James break 50,000 career points?
Based on his scoring average of 24.8 points per game this season, James will break the record in the Lakers’ next game. Los Angeles hosts the Pelicans on Tuesday, March 4.
If James does not play Tuesday, the Lakers’ next game is Thursday, March 6, against the Knicks in Los Angeles.
March 2 update: James extended his lead atop the scoring chart vs. the Clippers, dropping 17 points as the Lakers downed their crosstown rivals. That wasn’t enough for him to surpass the 50,000-point plateau, however; James needs just one point in his next game — likely vs. the Pelicans on March 4 — to hit the fabled mark.
Feb. 28 update: James did in fact play in the second game of the back-to-back and scored 28 points against the Clippers. He is now 18 points from 50,000 in his career. James should surpass the mark in his next game on 3/2 also against the Clippers.
Feb. 27 update: James scored 33 points against the Timberwolves. He is now 46 points shy of 50,000 for his career. The Lakers’ next game is on Friday night against the Clippers. It is the second game of a back-to-back, so James could rest, but he is now close enough he could break it in one game.
Feb. 25 update: James scored 27 points against Dallas. He is now under 100 points to 50,000 in his career, needing 79 more points.
Feb. 22 update: James scored 25 points against Denver, which is right on track with his 24.7 points per game average this season. He and the Lakers will face the Mavericks next on Tuesday, February 25 and is 106 points away from 50,000 career points.
LeBron James career points
| Year | Regular Season Points | Regular Season Avg. | Postseason Points | Postseason Avg. |
| 2003 | 1,654 | 20.9 | — | — |
| 2004 | 2,175 | 27.2 | — | — |
| 2005 | 2,478 | 31.4 | 400 | 30.8 |
| 2006 | 2,132 | 27.3 | 501 | 25.1 |
| 2007 | 2,250 | 30.0 | 366 | 28.2 |
| 2008 | 2,304 | 28.4 | 494 | 35.3 |
| 2009 | 2,258 | 29.7 | 320 | 29.1 |
| 2010 | 2,111 | 26.7 | 497 | 23.7 |
| 2011 | 1,683 | 27.1 | 697 | 30.3 |
| 2012 | 2,036 | 26.8 | 596 | 25.9 |
| 2013 | 2,089 | 27.1 | 548 | 27.4 |
| 2014 | 1,743 | 25.3 | 601 | 30.1 |
| 2015 | 1,920 | 25.3 | 552 | 26.3 |
| 2016 | 1,954 | 26.4 | 591 | 32.8 |
| 2017 | 2,251 | 27.5 | 748 | 34.0 |
| 2018 | 1,505 | 27.4 | — | |
| 2019 | 1,698 | 25.3 | 580 | 27.6 |
| 2020 | 1,126 | 25.0 | 140 | 23.3 |
| 2021 | 1,695 | 30.3 | — | |
| 2022 | 1,590 | 28.9 | 392 | 24.5 |
| 2023 | 1,822 | 25.7 | 139 | 27.8 |
| 2024 | 1,363 | 24.8 | — | — |
| Total | 41,837 | 27.0 | 8,162 | 28.4 |
Lakers remaining 2024-2025 schedule
Every team plays 82 games during the NBA regular season. The Lakers went 32-21 ahead of the All-Star break. After Sunday’s win, Los Angeles has 23 games remaining in the regular season.
| Date | Opponent |
| 3/4 | vs. Pelicans |
| 3/6 | vs. Knicks |
| 3/8 | at Celtics |
| 3/10 | at Nets |
| 3/13 | at Bucks |
| 3/14 | at Nuggets |
| 3/16 | at Suns |
| 3/17 | vs. Spurs |
| 3/19 | vs. Nuggets |
| 3/20 | vs. Bucks |
| 3/22 | vs. Bulls |
| 3/24 | at Magic |
| 3/26 | at Pacers |
| 3/27 | at Bulls |
| 3/29 | at Grizzlies |
| 3/31 | vs. Rockets |
| 4/3 | vs. Warriors |
| 4/4 | vs. Pelicans |
| 4/6 | at Thunder |
| 4/8 | at Thunder |
| 4/9 | at Mavericks |
| 4/11 | vs. Rockets |
| 4/13 | at Trail Blazers |
