All Time NBA Scoring Leaders: Legends of the Game

These Are the Top 10 Scoring Leaders in NBA History

1. LeBron James – 40,474 Points

It is hard not to start the list with someone nicknamed “the King.” LeBron James has been “the King” of the NBA since he entered the league straight out of high school, making his debut at 18.

James is almost 40 now and about to start his 22nd season in the league. His longevity is incredible, which has made him an all-time great. He has averaged at least 25 points per game in every year of his career outside of his rookie season, helping him become the NBA all-time points leader with 40,474.

James played those 21 seasons across three teams. He scored the most points with the team that drafted him, the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 23,119 points in 11 seasons. Second is the Los Angeles Lakers, playing six seasons with them, scoring 9,436 points. Finally, James had four seasons with the Miami Heat, winning two MVPs and two of his four NBA Championships, scoring 7,919.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38,387 Points

For a long time, NBA betting favorite Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was considered the greatest basketball player ever. Abdul-Jabbar had the highest career points in the NBA, breaking the record in 1984 with 31,420.

After breaking the record, Abdul-Jabbar still went on to play five more seasons for the Lakers but was out of his prime. He still averaged 17.6 points per game, which helped push his total to 38,387. Abdul-Jabbar’s record lasted for 28 years before James came along and broke it.

Abdul-Jabbar had one of the best moves in the NBA, the sky-hook, which helped him score many points for the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers. A long career also helped, as he played for 20 years in the league. Most of the time came with the Lakers, which is what Abdul-Jabbar remembered for, scoring a total of 24,176 points. However, the best version of Abdul-Jabbar could be when he was young and on the Bucks, winning one of his six championships and three of his six MVPs. He left the Bucks having scored 14,211 points.

3. Karl Malone – 36,928 Points

Only two players on this list have never won an NBA Championship. Karl Malone is one of the best, if not the best basketball player to never win an NBA Final despite reaching it twice.

Malone had the unlucky pleasure of having to face Michael Jordan (get to him later if you don’t already know) twice in the Finals. It still did not keep Malone from having an incredible career. He won two MVPs, one of which was over Jordan himself, and is currently third on the all-time scoring list.

For most of his career, Malone played with the Utah Jazz, spending 18 seasons with the team. He scored 36,374 points, partly due to his point guard, John Stockton, who has the most assists of any NBA player. However, Malone played his final season with the Lakers, trying to get a ring, and scored 554 more points.

4. Kobe Bryant – 33,643 Points

The world seemed to stand still when Kobe Bryant died in 2020. Across the NBA, there were tributes to one of the most legendary basketball players ever. While it is hard to pinpoint one specific reason why Byrant is such a great player, it is hard to overlook his scoring.

Over Bryant’s 20 seasons in the NBA, all playing for the Lakers, he scored 33,643 points. Furthermore, on January 22, 2006, he scored 81 points, the second-most in a single game.

There are very few players who can compete with Bryant as a scorer. He worked himself to near the top of this list, passing his idol, Jordan. Despite only winning one MVP over his career, Bryant still won five NBA Championships.

5. Michael Jordan – 32,292 Points

When making a list of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan is hard not to have at the top. While he is not at the top of the list for total points, having scored 32,292, there is a good reason for that.

Jordan only played 15 seasons in the NBA, retiring twice. He did not play in the 1993-94 seasons, only coming out of retirement for 17 games in 1994-95. Then, after the 1997-98 seasons, Jordan retired again but returned to play two seasons at 38 and 39 years old from 2001 to 2003. That has led to him playing the second-fewest games and minutes on this list, but he is still fifth in all-time scoring.

Before returning to the league in 2001, Jordan was dominant at the peak of his career, winning five MVPs and six NBA championships. When he retired for the third time, Jordan remained the all-time leader in points per game at 30.1.

6. Dirk Nowitzki – 31,560 Points

It often feels like Dirk Nowitzki is one of the forgotten names in NBA history. Despite being a legend and ranked sixth on the all-time scoring list, with 31,560 points, Nowitzki is often a name that gets forgotten when talking about the greatest players ever.

There may be some bias with Nowitzki being the only intentional player on this list. However, it does seem like his career is often overshadowed despite how good he was. In a conversation about the best scorers or power forwards in the league’s history, Nowitzki must be mentioned. His one-legged step-back jumper was unguardable and is still a move players use today.

Something else that makes Nowitzki’s career special is his loyalty. He played all 20 of his seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. He won one MVP, leading the Mavericks on two incredible NBA Finals runs, winning one of them.

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7. Wilt Chamberlain – 31,419 Points

Whenever you look into the record books, you have to keep in mind that Wilt Chamberlain was incredible. There is a good chance you will see Chamberlain’s name for almost every game, season, or all-time record.

That is the case here, as Chamberlain had a fantastic career, scoring 31,419 points over a 14-season career spanning three teams. He spent time with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and finally, the Lakers, winning four MVPs and two championships.

Chamberlain’s career average of 30.1 points per game is tied with Jordan’s due to some spectacular seasons. In the 1961-62 season, he had the highest season average points per game ever, at 50.4.

8. Kevin Durant – 28,924 Points

Only two players on this list are not retired. James is the first, and Kevin Durant is the second on the active all-time scoring charts. Both players still have time to add to their total points numbers. While James has passed everyone already, Durant is currently the only one who has a chance of catching up, even though that likely won’t happen.

A big reason why Durant probably won’t catch James is because no one knows when he will retire, as he is nearly 40 years old and still going strong. On top of that, injuries have slowed down Durant’s career. Still, he has scored 28,924 points throughout his career.

But there is still a small chance Durant could catch up. He was a born scorer, averaging 30.1 points per game in his third season, and became the youngest player to win a scoring title. He went on to win one MVP and two NBA Championships. Durant is now with the Phoenix Suns, still one of the top scorers in the league.

9. Shaquille O’Neal – 28,596 Points

It is hard to leave Shaquille O’Neal off the list when it comes down to dominating big men. O’Neal has to be one of the most physically punishing players ever to play against, as he was almost always the strongest player on the court. That helped him score 28,596 points over his career.

In the later stages of O’Neal’s career, when his body started to fail him and the physicality took a toll on him, it never took away from how great he was early on. O’Neal only won one MVP but cemented himself as a winner with four NBA Championships.

Most of O’Neal’s career points came from his eight seasons with the Lakers, when he scored a total of 13,895. Next was the Orlando Magic, the team that drafted O’Neal, and he scored 8,019 points in four seasons. O’Neal also spent four seasons with the Miami Heat, leading to 4,010 points. He played on three other teams, putting up the rest of his points.

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10. Carmelo Anthony – 28,289 Points

Carmelo Anthony might be the most surprising name on this list. He is the only player on this list never to win the NBA Finals; in fact, he never reached it and never won an MVP, either. However, he still managed to score 28,289 points in his 19 seasons.

In those 19 seasons, Anthony’s most significant accomplishment was probably winning a scoring title in 2012-13. His career was pretty much broken up into three parts. He was among the best players in the league with the Denver Nuggets, scoring 13,970 points in eight seasons.

Then Anthony played for the New York Knicks, where he cemented himself as one of the purist scores in the league and one of basketball players’ favorite players, with seven seasons leading to 10,186 points. Then, at the tail end of his career, Anthony bounded around from team to team, trying to find a role.

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