LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points combined in the regular season and play-offs

SAN FRANCISCO – No player in league history has scored more points than when wearing an NBA uniform LeBron James.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who came into Saturday night needed 19 points to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar For the regular season and the most combined postseason points, he made 3-pointers less than five minutes into the second half against the Golden State Warriors, giving him 21 game points and 44,152 points between the regular season and postseason. Abdul-Jabbar finished his Hall of Fame career with a combined 44,149 points (38,387 in the regular season, 5,762 in the playoffs).

James started it early, Abdul-Jabbar tied at 3 with 1:24 remaining in the second quarter. He finished the first half with 18 points in a 7-for-12 shot, helping Los Angeles keep pace with the Warriors.

But his end in the match spoiled the night. James hit a 1-for-10 shot in the fourth quarter, missing his first three free throws 2.4 seconds into fourth when he could have tied the game had he done all three. Los Angeles was unable to secure the win, despite leading by six goals with 3:47 remaining. Warriors won, 117-115.

“It’s hard for me to talk about right now because I hate doing anything when you come in at a loss. We have a chance to win a big game tonight,” James said.

He finished with 26 points on a 9-for-27 — including a 3-for-10 from a 3 and a 5-for-9 free throw line — with 15 rebounds and eight assists.

“I would have appreciated the opportunity to play this game at the highest level,” James said. “I love the game of basketball. I love being a part of the NBA and being able to inspire different groups of generations. I think it’s a very big deal.”

James said his teammates and coaching staff recognized the achievement and his friends and loved ones sent congratulatory texts to his phone, which he was grateful to receive.

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“It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said before the game. “Everything the player has done throughout his career is fantastic. That’s why I think he’s the greatest player ever.”

The Warriors backyard also stunned Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson from their scoring mark.

“It’s crazy to think about how many games he’s been in, how long he’s been in it,” Curry said. “The longevity of it all is legendary.” “To be in this position where you’ve played so many matches, you’ve been in so many different qualifying rounds, you’ve won trophies and you’ve done it year after year, there is no real end in sight. This is a very special achievement. He probably has his eyes set on the real scoring title.” “It’s crazy to think of it.” Thompson added, “I don’t know how long he’s had, maybe two years, maybe three. But NBA fans should appreciate it while watching such a great player.”

James started the day as the number 3 all-season regular-season scoring chart with 36,500 points and #1 on all-time post-season scoring with 7,631 points.

It’s less than 500 points of scrolling Karl Malone For second place in the scoring list for the regular season and less than 2000 points from Abdul-Jabbar for first place.

He overtook Michael Jordan for the number one all-time scorer in 2017.

“I feel like I’ve seen a lot of post-season points,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose team faced James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in four consecutive Finals from 2015-2018. It will be celebrated as if it were the record for the regular season, but that is incredible when you think about all the players who have played in this league, the talent. People like Michael Jordan, who played in a million playoffs. LeBron’s brilliance as well as his longevity.

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“I think his underestimated quality is the way he manages to take care of his body and keep playing at such a high level for a long time. He’s still at the top of his game, top of the league. I don’t know that statistic. That’s pretty cool.”

The feat comes amid James’ stellar scoring season. On Saturday, he scored 25 or more points in his 22nd straight game, the longest running streak of his career. His 29.1 points per game ranked him second in the league after Philadelphia Joel Embiid (29.3), but James hasn’t played enough matches so far this season to qualify for the scoring title. It’s the fourth highest scoring average in his 19-year career and the highest average he’s scored since 2009-2010 when he put in 29.7 points with the Cavs.

James’s scoring rate this season is by far the most of any player in his 19th season or later. copy print He held the record, averaging 22.3 points in 2014-15, when he was limited to 35 games due to injury in his 19th season.

“I think he rewrote the rules for how players later in their careers develop their playing style to stay at the top,” Vogel said. “So it’s just another part of his story.”

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