10 NBA players with the most career points

10 NBA players with the most career points
10 NBA players with the most career points

#4 Kobe Bryant - 33,643 points

Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks

The Great Kobe Bryant was a relentless scorer who always looked to destroy any NBA defense that was in front of him, succeeding most of the time.

With 33,643 points in his 20-year NBA career, Bryant ranks fourth in the competition's all-time point scorers list.

Once he found his feet in the NBA, Bryant had an unbelievable career, and his scoring was unique in the league. From the 1999-00 season till 2012-13, Bryant averaged 28 points per game on 46% shooting.

In that period of 14 seasons, he averaged less than 25 points per game only once (1999-00); he won the scoring title in 2005-06 with 35.4 per game and in 2006-07 with 31.6.

Kobe Bryant's most prolific scoring spell came in the 2005-06 season when he scored at least 50 points in six games and had a legendary 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors on 22 January 2006.


#3 Karl Malone - 36,928 points

The Mailman was one of the best power forwards ever.
The Mailman was one of the best power forwards ever.

Karl Malone is one of the best players without an NBA title on their resume. 'The Mailman' was a scoring machine during his NBA career, something that helped him win two regular-season MVP awards as he led his teams to two NBA Finals appearances.

A 14-time All-star and two-time MVP in All-star games, Karl Malone scored 36,928 points in his 19-year career. He averaged over 20 points in all but two of his 19 seasons, and his career average is an impressive 25 points per game, which is the twelfth best in NBA history.


#2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 38,387 points

The all-time scoring leader in NBA history 2020 NBA Finals - Game Five
The all-time scoring leader in NBA history 2020 NBA Finals - Game Five

A unique scorer and owner of the single most unstoppable move in NBA history, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his skyhook were an unbelievable force in NBA basketball.

The player with the most regular-season MVP awards, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar is the all-time leader in total points scored in the NBA. He assumed this record on 5 April 1984 when he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain's tally of 31,419 points with a skyhook, unsurprisingly.

A six-time NBA champion, Abdul-Jabbar retired with 38,387 points. His record has lasted for 39 years and was broken by LeBron James on the 7th of February 2023, in his 20th NBA season.


#1 LeBron James - 39,704 points

Lakers vs Heat in the 2020 Finals
Lakers vs Heat in the 2020 Finals

'The King' LeBron James is the only active player on this list. With his tally of 39,012 points set to increase in the upcoming seasons, he has become the NBA's all-time points leader in his 20th NBA season and will continue to extend his points total by the time his illustrious career ends.

Though he is branded by many as a 'pass-first' player, James is one of the best scorers in NBA history who also happens to be one of the best passers ever.

The King has won only one scoring title in his career, but he has not scored less than 25 points per game since his rookie year and has a 27.1 points per game average in his career, which is the fourth best in NBA history.

LeBron James is the youngest player ever to reach every thousand-point milestone in the NBA, from 1,000 to 39,000.


Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 players unlikely to be back with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2020-21 season.

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Edited by Bhargav