Yardbarker
x
LeBron James hits historic scoring milestone vs. 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James hits historic scoring milestone vs. 76ers

Believe it or not, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James made more NBA history Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

With 5:43 left in the first quarter, James drained a 20-footer from the top of the key, becoming only the second player in the history of the NBA to score 38,000 career points. 

James joins Hall of Famer and former Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only player to reach the 38,000-point milestone. Trailing Adbul-Jabbar by less than 400 points, James will likely own the all-time scoring record before the season's end. 

Entering Sunday night, James was seventh in the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.0 points per game with 8.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 36.3 minutes. 

Despite James' historic feats and top-tier play at 38 years of age, the Lakers haven't seen much success on the court this season. Los Angeles recently put together a season-high five-game win streak, but they've since lost two straight ahead of Sunday's contest with Philadelphia. 

James, who has been outspoken about wanting some change within the Lakers' lineup, denied being frustrated over the team's lack of moves during a Twitter rant directed at a reporter earlier this month.  

The Lakers entered the night four games back of the Sacramento Kings (24-18) for the top spot in the Pacific Division. At 21-23, the Lakers ranked 13th in the Western Conference, ahead of only the San Antonio Spurs (13-31) and Houston Rockets (10-33).

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!