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LeBron James joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as only players in NBA history to reach 38,000 career points

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James eclipsed 38,000 career points Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Here’s what you need to know:

  • James joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second player to reach 38,000 career points.
  • The four-time Finals MVP reached his 38,000th point on a 20-foot jumper with 5:43 remaining in the first quarter.
  • Coming into Sunday’s game, James posted averages of 29 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game on 50.3 percent shooting from the field.
  • James scored 35 points against the Sixers in a 113-112 loss. After Sunday’s game, James is at 38,024 career points.

Backstory

James, 38, is no. 2 on the all-time career NBA points list. Entering Sunday’s game, James was 398 points shy of surpassing Abdul-Jabbar’s record for career points and becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. It took 1,399 games for James to reach 38,000 career points. He’s currently playing in his 20th NBA season.

The Athletic‘s instant analysis:

Significance of accomplishment

In the latest step on his march toward passing Abdul-Jabbar on the NBA’s all-time regular season scoring list, James became just the second member of the 38,000-point club. It’s another milestone for the 38-year-old as he continues to reshape the reality of what’s possible for an aging superstar athlete.

James scored 16 points in the first quarter and 22 points in the first half against the 76ers — the league’s fourth-ranked defense — on Sunday, further demonstrating his unprecedented dominance in his 20th season. — Buha

Evaluating LeBron’s recent performance

Since Anthony Davis’ injury on Dec. 16, James is averaging 33.4 points (on 54 percent shooting), 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists. He’s guided Los Angeles to a 7-7 record — they’re 6-5 in the 11 games James has played in over that span — as they’ve stayed afloat in the Play-In Tournament race.

The Lakers are plus-51 in James’ 400 minutes over that stretch (and minus-78 in the 282 minutes he’s been off the floor). Even at 38, James is proving he’s capable of carrying an undermanned supporting cast. — Buha

Highlight of the game

Required reading

(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)

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