Ranking: Top scorers in NBA history (regular season and playoffs combined)
Though he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in regular season points on February 7, 2023, LeBron James actually became the top scorer in NBA games one year earlier if you combine regular season and playoff points.
King James just reached the historical regular season 40,000-point milestone, and he’ll keep running up the score with great advantages over the likes of Kareem, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. The closest active player, Kevin Durant, is almost 15,000 points away from LeBron.
You can check the full ranking below:
LeBron James: 48,040 points
Overall stats: 27.3 ppg on 50.3 FG%, 34.4 3P% and 73.6 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.1 ppg on 50.5 FG%, 34.7 3P% and 73.5 FT%
Playoff stats: 28.5 ppg on 49.5 FG%, 33.1 3P% and 74.1 FT%
Points per shot: 1.37
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 44,149 points
Karl Malone: 41,689 points
Kobe Bryant: 39,283 points
Michael Jordan: 38,279 points
Dirk Nowitzki: 35,223 points
Overall stats: 21.1 ppg on 47.0 FG%, 37.9 3P% and 88.0 FT%
Regular season stats: 20.7 ppg on 47.1 FG%, 38.0 3P% and 87.9 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.3 ppg on 46.2 FG%, 36.5 3P% and 89.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.34
Wilt Chamberlain: 35,026 points
Overall stats: 29.1 ppg on 53.8 FG% and 50.5 FT%
Regular season stats: 30.1 ppg on 54.0 FG% and 51.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.5 ppg on 52.2 FG% and 46.5 FT%
Points per shot: 1.34
Shaquille O'Neal: 33,846 points
Kevin Durant: 33,250 points
Overall stats: 27.5 ppg on 49.6 FG%, 38.1 3P% and 88.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 27.3 ppg on 50.0 FG%, 38.7 3P% and 88.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 29.4 ppg on 47.6 FG%, 35.5 3P% and 86.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.45
Tim Duncan: 31,668 points
Hakeem Olajuwon: 30,701 points
Carmelo Anthony: 30,203 points
Overall stats: 22.4 ppg on 44.5 FG%, 35.3 3P% and 81.5 FT%
Regular season stats: 22.5 ppg on 44.7 FG%, 35.5 3P% and 81.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 23.1 ppg on 41.4 FG%, 32.4 3P% and 82.6 FT%
Points per shot: 1.25
John Havlicek: 30,171 points
Jerry West: 29,649 points
Paul Pierce: 29,577 points
Elvin Hayes: 29,507 points
Moses Malone: 29,486 points
James Harden: 29,265 points
Overall stats: 24.1 ppg on 43.9 FG%, 36.1 3P% and 86.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.3 ppg on 44.2 FG%, 36.5 3P% and 86.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 22.7 ppg on 42.4 FG%, 33.8 3P% and 86.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.48
Kevin Garnett: 28,672 points
Oscar Robertson: 28,620 points
Reggie Miller: 28,251 points
Dominique Wilkins: 28,091 points
Russell Westbrook: 27,943 points
Overall stats: 22.0 ppg on 43.5 FG%, 30.3 3P% and 78.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.8 ppg on 43.8 FG%, 30.4 3P% and 77.6 FT%
Playoff stats: 24.5 ppg on 40.8 FG%, 29.9 3P% and 82.8 FT%
Points per shot: 1.21
Patrick Ewing: 27,628 points
Vince Carter: 27,321 points
Alex English: 27,274 points
Ray Allen: 27,254 points
Stephen Curry: 27,220 points
Overall stats: 25.0 ppg on 47.0 FG%, 42.1 3P% and 90.6 FT%
Regular season stats: 24.8 ppg on 47.4 FG%, 42.6 3P% and 91.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 27.0 ppg on 45.3 FG%, 39.7 3P% and 88.9 FT%
Points per shot: 1.38
Dwyane Wade: 27,119 points
Elgin Baylor: 26,772 points
Charles Barkley: 26,590 points
Allen Iverson: 26,479 points
Robert Parish: 26,154 points
Larry Bird: 25,688 points
Clyde Drexler: 25,158 points
Chris Paul: 25,055 points
Overall stats: 17.9 ppg on 47.2 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 86.8 FT%
Regular season stats: 17.7 ppg on 47.1 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 87.0 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.0 ppg on 48.4 FG%, 37.3 3P% and 85.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.32
Adrian Dantley: 24,735 points
DeMar DeRozan: 24,377 points
Overall stats: 21.1 ppg on 46.4 FG%, 29.0 3P% and 84.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.1 ppg on 46.6 FG%, 33.5 3P% and 84.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 21.8 ppg on 41.8 FG%, 21.4 3P% and 85.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.29
Gary Payton: 23,968 points
Tony Parker: 23,518 points
Hal Greer: 23,462 points
Overall stats: 19.3 ppg on 45.0 FG% and 80.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 19.2 ppg on 45.2 FG% and 80.1 FT%
Playoff stats: 20.4 ppg on 42.5 FG% and 81.2 FT%
Points per shot: 1.15
Bob Pettit: 23,120 points
David Robinson: 23,011 points
Overall stats: 20.7 ppg on 51.3 FG% and 73.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 21.1 ppg on 51.8 FG% and 73.6 FT%
Playoff stats: 18.1 ppg on 47.9 FG% and 70.8 FT%
Points per shot: 1.45
Pau Gasol: 22,992 points
Overall stats: 16.8 ppg on 50.7 FG%, 36.3 3P% and 75.2 FT%
Regular season stats: 17.0 ppg on 50.7 FG%, 36.8 3P% and 75.3 FT%
Playoff stats: 15.4 ppg on 50.7 FG%, 29.7 3P% and 74.1 FT%
Points per shot: 1.32
Scottie Pippen: 22,582 points
Overall stats: 16.2 ppg on 46.7 FG%, 32.1 3P% and 70.7 FT%
Regular season stats: 16.1 ppg on 47.3 FG%, 32.6 3P% and 70.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 17.5 ppg on 44.4 FG%, 30.3 3P% and 72.4 FT%
Points per shot: 1.20
Damian Lillard: 22,302 points
Overall stats: 25.1 ppg on 43.6 FG%, 37.0 3P% and 89.6 FT%
Regular season stats: 25.1 ppg on 43.8 FG%, 37.1 3P% and 89.7 FT%
Playoff stats: 25.7 ppg on 41.2 FG%, 36.9 3P% and 88.7 FT%
Points per shot: 1.35
George Gervin: 22,300 points
Overall stats: 26.1 ppg on 51.0 FG%, 28.3 3P% and 84.1 FT%
Regular season stats: 26.2 ppg on 51.1 FG%, 29.7 3P% and 84.4 FT%
Playoff stats: 27.0 ppg on 50.8 FG%, 0-13 3P and 82.1 FT%
Points per shot: 1.31
Joe Johnson: 22,235 points
John Stockton: 22,147 points
LaMarcus Aldridge: 22,052 points
