Lebron James beats the scoring record: Who are the top 10 scorers in the history of the NBA?
It finally happened, and few were doubting it given the recent performances, so the history books need updating.
We knew it was coming and now it’s done, dusted and in the record books. LeBron James has accumulated the most points ever in the history of the National Basketball Association. And he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing tally in some style!
READ ALSO:
Can anyone catch LeBron’s record?
As we reflect on what has been a magnificent haul, with some blistering scoring in recent weeks despite his team’s mixed bag of results, LeBron can now relax knowing that there is only one other active NBA player in the top 10 all-time scorers. Carmelo Anthony just happens to be a teammate of James at the LA Lakers, and has amassed an impressive enough 28,289 points during his time with the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder, Rockets, Blazers and now in Los Angeles. But that is still **checks notes** an incredible ten thousand, give or take a few three pointers, shy of the new record breaker.
Kevin Durant is the next active player on the list, with the 34-year-old on 26684.
So, it’s safe to say that the King won’t be caught anytime soon, oh, and he ain’t finished his own record total just yet!
Check out the top dogs in the table below and for an even longer breakdown, the basketball reference site has you covered.
Top 10 NBA scorers (*still active)
| RANKING | PLAYER | POINTS |
| 1 | LeBron James* | 38,390 |
| 2 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 38,387 |
| 3 | Karl Malone | 36,928 |
| 4 | Kobe Bryant | 33,643 |
| 5 | Michael Jordan | 32,292 |
| 6 | Dirk Nowitzki | 31,560 |
| 7 | Wilt Chamberlain | 31,419 |
| 8 | Shaquille O'Neal | 28,596 |
| 9 | Carmelo Anthony* | 28,289 |
| 10 | Moses Malone | 27,409 |
It’s worth noting that the numbers above are solely based on the NBA, with the picture changing slightly if points picked up in the American Basketball Association (ABA) are included.
What that doesn’t change, however, is the picture at the top. In fact, only the scoring legend Julius Erving jumps into seventh with his combined total, with Anthony dropping to 11th.