LeBron James Breaks NBA Field Goals Record: Surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

DENVER — LeBron James continues to redefine longevity and achievement in the NBA, adding another milestone to his unparalleled career. On Thursday night, in a 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leader in career field goals made.

The historic basket, a turnaround jumper over Zeke Nnaji with 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter, marked James’ 15,838th regular-season field goal, eclipsing Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record of 15,837. The moment was preceded by James briefly tying Abdul-Jabbar with an alley-oop dunk assisted by Luka Dončić.

This latest record comes nearly two years after James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023. He already held the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NBA playoff history and, a year ago, surpassed 50,000 total points scored in both regular season and postseason play.

The significance of this particular record, however, speaks to the evolution of the game. While James has attempted more field goals overall (31,274 entering Thursday’s game, including over 7,500 three-pointers), Abdul-Jabbar attempted significantly fewer (28,307) and rarely ventured beyond the paint. Only 18 of Abdul-Jabbar’s field goal attempts were three-pointers throughout his 20-year career.

Despite the historical achievement, the night wasn’t without its challenges for James and the Lakers. He sustained an elbow injury late in the fourth quarter after a fall, briefly leaving the game before returning twice. The Nuggets ultimately secured the victory, led by Nikola Jokić’s triple-double of 28 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, and 28 points each from Jamal Murray.

The Lakers’ loss overshadowed James’ accomplishment, but it did little to diminish the weight of the record. Abdul-Jabbar and James remain the only two players in NBA history to score at least 15,000 field goals, with Karl Malone a distant third at 13,528. Among active players, only Kevin Durant (11,075) is within striking distance of joining that exclusive club.

At 41 years old, James continues to defy expectations and accumulate accolades. He recently became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double, further solidifying his status as a generational talent. His continued success has prompted reflections on his career trajectory, with Lakers coach J.J. Redick drawing parallels to Bruce Springsteen.

“I’m a considerable Bruce Springsteen fan, and I would probably say his early albums really, really get me going,” Redick said before the game. “There’s a youthfulness to him, you know, in energy. ‘Nebraska’ is actually my favorite album of all time. And that’s very different from what he had done that far in his career. And then you can kind of witness the evolution of him as a singer-songwriter. And then he comes out with the greatest hits. And you’re like, ‘Wow, Here’s pretty solid.’

“And then after that he comes out with ‘The Rising,’ which is one of the most essential albums of the 2000s. So, you get to the end and you’re like, ‘Holy man, this guy’s greatest hits are like insane.’ And LeBron’s greatest hits, right? He just keeps adding to them. He just plays and plays and plays and the greatest hits, he’s got a hell of a catalog.”

James’ relentless pursuit of records extends beyond field goals. Thursday’s game was his 1,606th regular-season appearance, placing him just five games behind Robert Parish’s NBA record of 1,611. He likewise leads the league in career playoff games played with 292.

Despite his age and accomplishments, James remains undecided about his future with the Lakers, stating he believes he can continue playing at a high level indefinitely. He was an All-Star selection for the 22nd time in his career, despite missing 18 games due to injury.

The Lakers will continue their road trip, while the Nuggets maintain their position as a top team in the Western Conference. But Thursday night belonged to LeBron James, a player who continues to rewrite the NBA record books and redefine what’s possible on the basketball court.