Sports1950–2026
NBA Career Scoring Leaders
The NBA scoring record is a relay race between eras: Mikan to Pettit, Wilt to Kareem, then a four-decade climb toward LeBron. Because this is cumulative, the drama comes from active players chasing ghosts.
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Source: Basketball-Reference NBA career leaders Season-end regular-season point totals, reconstructed annually for selected all-time leaders. illustrative data Updated 2026-07-03
The race in numbers
4lead changes
76years covered
15contenders
Kareem Abdul-Jabbarlongest reign — 37 yrs at #1
Final standings · 2026
- 1LeBron James43,500 pts
- 2Kareem Abdul-Jabbar38,387 pts
- 3Karl Malone36,928 pts
- 4Kobe Bryant33,643 pts
- 5Michael Jordan32,292 pts