LeBron James: A Look Back at His Milestone Scoring Moments
LeBron James has solidified his place in NBA history as one of the greatest players of all time. With an illustrious career spanning over two decades, James has achieved numerous milestones and shattered records along the way. From his first-ever career points to becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive some of LeBron James’ most significant scoring moments.
1. First-ever career points
On October 29, 2003, a young 18-year-old LeBron James made his NBA debut. The hype surrounding him was immense, and he didn’t disappoint. In his first game, James scored his first career points with a 16-foot jumper off an assist from Ricky Davis. Despite a 106-92 loss to the Sacramento Kings, James finished the game with an impressive stat line of 25 points, six rebounds, and nine assists.
2. Youngest to ever score 5,000 career points
Just a few years later, on January 21, 2006, James achieved another milestone. In a game against the Utah Jazz, he erupted for 51 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 5,000 career points. At just 21 years old, James surpassed his idol Kobe Bryant, who achieved the feat at 22.
3. LeBron reaches 10,000 career points
On February 27, 2008, James etched his name in the record books once again. Despite suffering an ankle injury in the first half of the game against the Boston Celtics, James returned and scored 26 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 points. He accomplished this milestone at the age of 23 years and 59 days, over a year younger than Bryant when he achieved the same feat.
4. Becomes Cavs’ all-time leading scorer
March 21, 2008, marked a historic moment for James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a game against the Toronto Raptors, James surpassed Brad Daugherty as the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer. The crowd at Quicken Loans Arena erupted in applause as James received high-fives and hugs from his teammates.
5. LeBron reaches 15,000 career points
On March 19, 2010, James reached yet another scoring milestone. During a game against the Chicago Bulls, he scored his 15,000th career point on free throws. James finished the game with 29 points, bringing his career total to 15,026. This season was filled with several other scoring milestones for James, including reaching the 13,000-point mark and the 14,000-point mark.
6. LeBron reaches 20,000 career points
January 16, 2013, marked a historic night for LeBron James. With a short jumper in the second quarter of a game against the Golden State Warriors, James joined the exclusive 20,000-point club. At that moment, he became the youngest player in NBA history to achieve this milestone.
7. Scores career-high 61 points
March 3, 2014, will forever be remembered as one of LeBron James’ most dominant performances. Facing off against the Charlotte Bobcats as a member of the Miami Heat, James erupted for a career-high 61 points. He made an impressive 22 out of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight three-point attempts.
8. Youngest to reach 25,000 points
On November 2, 2015, James added another record to his long list of accomplishments. With an alley-oop from Matthew Dellavedova, he scored his 25,000th and 25,001st points. At that moment, James became the sixth active player and the 20th player overall to reach the 25,000-point mark.
9. LeBron enters 30,000-point club
January 23, 2018, marked a historic night for LeBron James as he joined an elite group of players. With a jumper in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs, James became the seventh player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points. He joined the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Dirk Nowitzki.
10. LeBron’s double-digit scoring record
On March 30, 2018, James achieved a remarkable milestone that showcased his consistency and longevity. He reached double figures in scoring for the 867th consecutive game, breaking the all-time record set by Michael Jordan. Since January 5, 2007, James had never failed to score at least 10 points in a game.
11. LeBron passes Wilt
November 14, 2018, was a historic night for LeBron James as he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time