LeBron James fourth player to reach 33,000 career points

Mark yet another notch in LeBron James’ belt of career achievements.

The Lakers forward became the fourth player in NBA history to surpass 33,000 career points on Wednesday night. The four-time Kia MVP hit the mark with a 3-pointer over New Orleans rookie Jaxson Hayes — who was three years old when James began his NBA odyssey in 2003.

Back then, James was not known for his 3-point shooting. This season he is hitting 35% from 3-point range, the eighth time hie in his career he’s shot 35% or better. The three-time NBA champion also lead the league with 11.0 assists per game and ranks 10th all-time on the NBA assists list.

Yet for all his unselfish diversity, James’ scoring has seen him climb past the best bucket-getting legends of the game. After passing Michael Jordan last season, James is just over 600 points away from Kobe Bryant, who sits third all-time behind Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

PlayerYears PlayedPoints
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar1969-8938,387
Karl Malone1985-200436,928
Kobe Bryant1996-201633,643
LeBron James2003-Present33,008
Michael Jordan1984-93; 1995-98; 2001-0332,392
Dirk Nowitzki1998-201931,560
Wilt Chamberlain1959-7331,419