Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James falls short of milestone in Lakers' win

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Mar 3, 2025 8:14 AM ET

LeBron James on Sunday became the third player in NBA history to record 1,000 regular-season victories when his Lakers completed a 108-102 win over the Clippers. However, the living legend fell one point shy of becoming the first to 50,000 points (playoffs included).

It wasn't for a lack of trying, though. James shot 6-of-17 from the floor, including 1-of-8 in the fourth quarter, but couldn't reach the 18 points needed to seal the milestone. He would finish with 17 points courtesy of two made free throws in the game's waning moments.

LeBron was one point shy from 50K career points pic.twitter.com/gYgWIgClbl
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 3, 2025

James' 17 points were the fewest he scored in a game since the Dec. 2 loss to the Timberwolves when he finished with 10. In light of his recent hot streak, he was widely expected to make history on Sunday.

When James entered the game with 49,982 points (41,820 regular season + 8,162 playoffs), several parlays were placed by bettors guessing the exact moment he'd reach the milestone. With 2:27 left in the fourth, he nearly got there when he attempted his trademark 20-foot fadeaway jumper, only for the ball to rim out.

The 40-year-old James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time regular-season scoring record on Feb. 7, 2023, a record that stood for over 39 years. He broke Michael Jordan's all-time playoff scoring record on May 25, 2017, a record that "His Airness" held for over 19 years. Since eclipsing Jordan, James (8,162 points) has created a wide separation from the rest of the pack and is unlikely to be caught for decades.

James will almost assuredly get the 50K milestone when the Lakers host the Pelicans on Tuesday night. JJ Redick's men will carry a six-game winning streak into the contest, looking to tighten the stranglehold over the second seed in the West.

LeBron James - 1,000 career regular season wins. pic.twitter.com/j52G5NICUD
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) March 3, 2025

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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