Who Has Most Points in NBA History?
With the 2019-2020 NBA season on hiatus, let’s take a look at which player has the most points in NBA history.
Introduction
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men’s basketball league in North America, composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). It was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The NBA considers itself the premier professional basketball league in the world.
The league was originally founded as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), before it merged with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The NBA has undergone several name changes over its history, swapping “Basketball Association” for “National Basketball” in 1949 when it joined forces with its old rival; “Basketball Association of America” for “National Basketball Association” again in the 1970s to reflect its expanded membership outside North America; and then “National Basketball Association” for “NBA” to coincide with its 2000 merger with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The highest scorer in NBA history is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who racked up 38,387 points during his illustrious 20-year career. He comfortably retired as the all-time leading scorer in 1984 and his record still stands today. Abdul-Jabbar also holds records for most points in a season (2,832), most points in a game (100) and most All-Star Game points (251).
Other notable players to have scored over 30,000 career points include Karl Malone (36,928), LeBron James (34,241*), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Dirk Nowitzki (31,560). Wilt Chamberlain is fourth on the all-time scoring list with 31,419 points but is largely forgotten because he played during an era when rules favored offense over defense and scoring titles were commonplace.
*As of February 25th 2020
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.; April 16, 1947) is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving have called him the greatest basketball player of all time.
Abdul-Jabbar holds numerous NBA records. He is the league’s all-time leader in points scored (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes played (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3, 189), defensive rebounds (9,394), and personal fouls (4657). He is also the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history with 3,052 points from 1967 to 1969 playing for head coach John Wooden at UCLA. In 1971–72 , he began using his trademark “skyhook” shot; subsequently led UCLA to its fifth consecutive NCAA title that season before adding a sixth title in 1973 . He remains the only player to win both titles as NCAA Division I scoring champion and Naismith College Player of the Year . His accomplishments have led to numerous awards including three wins of USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year , which is given out annually by USA Basketball .
Abdul-Jabbar has also been recognized for his work off the court. In 2010 , he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama . In 2012 , he received Special Lifetime Achievement Award from The Schott Foundation for Public Education . Also in 2012 , ESPN ranked him #34 on its list of “50 Greatest Athletes” while Slam magazine named him one of college basketball’s 35 Greatest Players
Karl Malone
Karl Malone is an American retired professional basketball player. He played the power forward position and spent his first 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association with the Utah Jazz and formed a formidable duo with John Stockton. Malone was a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 14-time NBA All-Star, and an 11-time member of the All-NBA first team. He is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history.
Malone spent his formative years in Summerfield, Louisiana. He attended Summerfield High School and led them to a state championship before enrolling at Louisiana Tech University. In his three seasons with Louisiana Tech, he helped the Bulldogs basketball team achieve a record of 87–11. Malone was selected by the Utah Jazz with the 13th overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft.
He made an immediate impact on a Jazz team that finished last in their conference in 1984–85, leading them to a conference playoff berth in his rookie season. He would go on to play for the Jazz for 18 seasons. In his second season, Malone earned his first of 14 consecutive All-Star selections which ultimately resulted in him becoming one of only two players ever to be selected as an All-Star starter 14 times since starters were first selected in 1951 (the other being Kobe Bryant).
During Malone’s time with Utah, he formed a formidable partnership with point guard John Stockton that collectively became known as “the Stockton to Malone play”. Together they set numerous NBA records: combinations of two players who have played together for extended periods of time who have achieved statistical milestones including most points (19,562), assists (10,626), and games played (1,741).
LeBron James
As of 2019, LeBron James is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He has racked up a total of 34,241 points throughout his career. This puts him behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, and Kobe Bryant. Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points, while Malone is second with 36,928 points. Bryant is third with 33,643 points.
James has been in the league since 2003 and has been one of its most dominant players over that time. He has won three MVP awards and three championships. He was also named Finals MVP each time he won a championship. In addition to his individual accomplishments, James has also been part of some very successful teams. His teams have made the playoffs in every season he has been in the league, and they have won eight division titles.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a dominate force on the court during his 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was also a five-time MVP and a ten-time All-Star.
During his illustrious career, Jordan scored a total of 32,292 points, which is the most in NBA history. He averaged 30.1 points per game, which is also the highest average in NBA history. Jordan is one of only four players to average more than 30 points per game for their career.
While there have been many great players in NBA history, Jordan’s combination of individual excellence and team success puts him above all others. His individual accomplishments and impact on the game make him the greatest player in NBA history.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He holds numerous NBA records, including becoming the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most points in NBA history with 38,387. He is followed by Karl Malone with 36,928 and LeBron James with 34,241. These are the only three players to have scored more than 30,000 points in their NBA careers.
