LeBron James added another historic milestone to his legendary career on Thursday night, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most field goals made in National Basketball Association history, even as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 120–113 defeat to the Denver Nuggets.
James scored 16 points in the contest and broke Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing mark of 15,837 field goals during the first quarter. The achievement adds to an already remarkable résumé for the 41-year-old star, who is currently playing in an unprecedented 23rd NBA season.
The milestone further strengthens James’ place among basketball’s all-time greats. In February 2023, he surpassed Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He also made history last year as the first player to reach 50,000 combined points across the regular season and playoffs. James now has 43,127 points in regular-season play alone.
Reflecting on the achievement, James expressed humility about being mentioned alongside the game’s greatest figures. “Being mentioned with some of the greatest to ever play this game has always been humbling,” he said. “I grew up watching, reading [about], idolising a lot of the greats, and if I was able to be part of the NBA, I wanted to put myself in position that I can be named with some of the greats by doing something right.”
He added that the significance of the record is still difficult for him to fully grasp. “It’s a pretty cool feat, but it’s hard for me to kind of wrap my head around it or what it looks like.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick compared the longevity and evolution of James’ career to legendary musician Bruce Springsteen. “You get to the end and you’re like, ‘this guy’s greatest hits are like insane’,” Redick said. “And LeBron’s greatest hits, he just keeps adding to them. He just plays and plays and plays and the greatest hits, he’s got a hell of a catalogue.”
James’ record-breaking feat comes decades after Abdul-Jabbar’s dominance in the league. The six-time NBA champion spent most of his 20-year career with the Lakers and retired in 1989 after converting 55.9 percent of his 28,307 field-goal attempts. By comparison, James currently holds a field-goal success rate of 51.6 percent.
The four-time NBA champion could soon add yet another milestone to his career achievements. Thursday’s game marked his 1,606th regular-season appearance, placing him just five games behind Robert Parish, who holds the NBA record for most regular-season games played.
James, who earned his 22nd All-Star selection this year, has not yet decided whether he will continue playing next season.
On the court, the Nuggets secured victory thanks largely to strong performances from All-Star teammates Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who each scored 28 points. The win helped Denver maintain fifth place in the Western Conference standings, one position ahead of the Lakers.
Elsewhere in the league, the San Antonio Spurs continued their impressive run, claiming their 13th win in 14 games with a 121–106 home victory over the Detroit Pistons. Rising star Victor Wembanyama delivered a standout performance, scoring 38 points and grabbing 16 rebounds as the Spurs strengthened their position near the top of the standings.
