Numbers in the NBA used to feel permanent. For nearly four decades, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points sat on a shelf like a museum relic—untouchable, dusty, and honestly, a bit intimidating. Then LeBron James happened.
Right now, as we sit in early 2026, the nba all time scoring record isn't just broken; it’s being pushed into a stratosphere that feels like a video game. LeBron just turned 41 a few weeks ago, and he isn't just "hanging on." He's still putting up 22.7 points a night. As of January 17, 2026, he’s sitting at 42,683 career points.
Think about that. He didn't just pass Kareem; he built a whole other career's worth of points on top of the old record.
But it’s not just about LeBron. The way we look at scoring has fundamentally shifted. When you look at the top of the list, you see names like Karl Malone (36,928) and Kobe Bryant (33,643), but the active guys behind LeBron are moving at a pace we’ve never seen. Kevin Durant is currently 7th all-time with 31,505 points. James Harden just passed Shaq for 9th place on January 12th.
It’s a weird time for the record books. The three-point revolution has basically turned every Tuesday night game into a statistical explosion.
The Mount Everest of Basketball: Top 10 Leaders
If you look at the current top ten, it’s a mix of legends who played in short-shorts and modern icons who have never known a world without the "logo three."
1. LeBron James: 42,683
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. Kevin Durant: 31,505
8. Wilt Chamberlain: 31,419
9. James Harden: 28,667
10. Shaquille O'Neal: 28,596
Wait, look at Kevin Durant. He’s only about 55 points away from passing Dirk Nowitzki for 6th place. Honestly, by the time you finish reading this, he might have already done it. And then there's James Harden. On December 6, 2025, he bumped Carmelo Anthony out of the top ten, and then just last week he vaulted over Shaq.
The movement is constant.
Why Nobody is Catching LeBron Anytime Soon
There’s this idea that because scoring is higher now, someone like Luka Doncic or Victor Wembanyama will eventually pass LeBron.
Don't bet on it.
To reach 40,000 points, you don't just need to be a great scorer. You need to be a freak of nature who never gets hurt. LeBron has played 23 seasons. Twenty-three! Most players' knees turn to dust by year 15. If a player averages 30 points per game and plays 75 games a year, they’d still need nearly 18 seasons just to get close.
Luka is amazing—he's currently averaging 33.6 points per game for the Lakers (yeah, seeing him in purple and gold is still weird)—but he’s only at about 14,000 career points. He’s got a mountain to climb.
The Active Chasers: Who’s Moving Up?
While LeBron is in his own world, the mid-tier of the all-time list is getting crowded.
Kevin Durant is the most "pure" scorer on this list. If not for the Achilles tear and various foot injuries, he’d likely be sitting at 35,000 right now. He’s still clinical. Even at 37, his jumper is unguardable.
Then you've got Stephen Curry. Steph is currently 24th all-time with 26,284 points. People forget he started slow because of those "glass ankles" early in his career. He’s likely to finish in the top 15, which is wild for a guy who lives almost exclusively behind the arc.
And keep an eye on Russell Westbrook. He’s at 26,838 points, currently sitting at 17th. He’s transitioned into a different role lately, but his longevity is underrated.
The Longevity Factor vs. Peak Dominance
When we talk about nba all time scoring, we usually ignore the "how."
Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) got his points by being a giant among men. He once averaged 50.4 points in a single season. Michael Jordan (32,292) got his by being the most competitive person on the planet, despite retiring twice in his prime.
LeBron got his by simply never going away. He’s the only player in history to be in the top 5 for both points and assists. That's the nuance people miss. He isn't a "score-first" guy, yet he’s the greatest scorer ever by the numbers.
Does the Regular Season Even Matter?
There is a massive debate among fans about whether we should include playoff points in the "all-time" total.
The NBA official record only counts regular-season games. If you add the playoffs, LeBron passed 50,000 total points a few days ago. That is a staggering number. Michael Jordan is second in playoff points (5,987), but LeBron has over 8,000.
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The gap there is even bigger than the regular-season record. It shows that the true greats don't just score in November; they do it in June when the defense actually decides to show up.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Record
The biggest misconception is that the "all-time scoring leader" is the "best scorer."
If you ask 100 NBA fans who the best scorer is, they’ll say Jordan, Kobe, or KD. They won’t always say LeBron.
- Jordan had 10 scoring titles.
- Wilt had the highest peaks.
- Kobe had the most "difficult" shot profile.
The scoring record is a trophy for the most productive career, not necessarily the highest ceiling. It rewards the guy who shows up for 80 games a year for two decades.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you’re following the nba all time scoring race or even looking at it from a sports card/memorabilia perspective, here is what you need to watch:
- Watch the Dirk-KD Swap: Kevin Durant is days away from taking the 6th spot. Every bucket he scores now is history.
- The 30K Club: There are only 7 players in the 30,000-point club. James Harden is at 28,667. He needs about 1,300 more. At his current pace of 25.8 per game, he’ll hit that milestone sometime mid-next season.
- The Luka Projection: If you want to see if the record will ever be broken, track Luka Doncic's "points per 100 possessions." Right now, he's the only one on a trajectory that even mimics LeBron’s early years, but he needs to stay healthy for another 12 years.
The record books are being rewritten in real-time. We’re living in an era where 40,000 points is the new 30,000. Enjoy it, because once LeBron finally decides to hang it up, we might wait another forty years to see anything like this again.
To keep up with these shifts, check the official NBA active leaders list every month. The rankings for players like DeMar DeRozan (currently 25th) and Steph Curry (24th) are changing almost every week as they leapfrog legends from the 80s and 90s.