LeBron James passes Karl Malone for second most points in NBA history
Only one more man remains between LeBron James and the all-time scoring record.
James passed Karl Malone for second all time in points scored Saturday night, scoring his 36,929th career point in the Lakers' game against the Wizards.
The 37-year-old James wasted no time climbing past Malone, as he got cooking early and was within striking distance by the second quarter. Midway through the period, the Lakers led and James had already racked up 19 points, putting him tied with Malone at No. 2 all time.
With just over five minutes left in the quarter, Stanley Johnson dribbled the ball at the top of the key. As Johnson settled at the top of the key, James slipped past Tomas Satoransky and had a wide open lane to the rim. Johnson hit him in stride and he laid in the easy deuce to put himself in sole possession of the No. 2 spot.
James now sits beyond just Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who scored 38,387 points over his illustrious 20-year career. At his current scoring pace, he could pass Abdul-Jabbar by the end of next season if he is able to stay healthy. If his scoring dips or his misses an extended period of time, he'd be on schedule to pass Abdul-Jabbar in the 2023-24 season.
More must-reads:
- LeBron James Gets Honest On Becoming Second In All-Time Scoring: "I'm Always Just Lost For Words. It's An Honor For My Friends, My Family And Friends, And My Hometown."
- Kendrick Players, NBA players react to LeBron James passing Karl Malone for second on all-time scoring list
- The 'Five or more 50-point games' quiz