By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – LeBron James reached another milestone in his unprecedented NBA career on Tuesday, becoming the first player to score 50,000 total points after hitting a three pointer in the first quarter of the Lakers’ home game against the Pelicans.
James entered the contest with 49,999 combined regular season and playoff points and drained a shot from deep to add another landmark moment to the storied career of ‘King James.’
James, 40, already has the most regular season points after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record in February 2023, a mark that had stood for 39 years.
The Akron, Ohio native also holds the all-time playoff scoring record, a title he took from Michael Jordan in May of 2017.
James has shown no sign of slowing down in his 22nd season in the league.
He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, extending his league-record to 41 monthly awards, including three with the Lakers.
He is also the oldest player to win the award, passing the previous record set by Karl Malone (age 37) with the Utah Jazz in November of 2000.
Four-time NBA champion James and the Lakers have been on a tear since acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a stunning trade for Anthony Davis last month.
They entered Tuesday’s contest on a six-game winning streak and have shot up to second place in the Western Conference.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indian Wells, California; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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