Most Points Scored in NBA History: All-Time Career Leaders

LeBron James has scored the most points scored in NBA history with 43,440 regular-season career points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranks second with 38,387, Karl Malone is third with 36,928, and Kobe Bryant remains fourth with 33,643.

This leaderboard uses NBA regular-season points only through the end of the 2025–26 season. ABA points, playoff points and preseason points are not included. That distinction matters because combined NBA/ABA lists produce different totals and placements for players such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone, George Gervin, Rick Barry and Artis Gilmore.

Key Facts

• NBA career scoring leader: LeBron James, 43,440 points
• Second place: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 38,387 points
• Gap between first and second: 5,053 points
• Highest-ranked active challenger: Kevin Durant, fifth with 32,597 points
• Newest top-10 scorer: James Harden, ninth with 29,339 points
• Top-150 cutoff: Dennis Johnson, 15,535 points

How the NBA Scoring List Works

Placement is determined by a player’s official NBA regular-season point total. Every point scored across a player’s full NBA career counts, regardless of how many franchises he represented.

The ranking does not combine regular-season and playoff scoring. LeBron also owns the combined regular-season and postseason record, but this page focuses on the standard career scoring leaderboard used when discussing the NBA’s all-time points record.

ABA production is excluded. Julius Erving scored 30,026 points when his ABA and NBA careers are combined, but his NBA-only total is 18,364. Moses Malone has 29,580 combined NBA/ABA points and 27,409 in the NBA. Using one scope from top to bottom prevents the leaderboard from mixing incompatible totals.

#10 – Shaquille O’Neal – 28,596 Points

Career scoring line: 28,596 points in 1,207 games, 23.7 points per game.

Shaquille O’Neal built a top-10 scoring career without relying on jump shots or three-point volume. Once he established position, the possession usually ended with a dunk, a foul or both. His combination of power, touch and mobility produced 13 straight seasons averaging at least 20 points.

Shaq held ninth place until James Harden passed him during the 2025–26 season. The move down one spot does not change what made his total unusual: he reached 28,596 points despite shooting 52.7 percent from the free-throw line and taking only 22 career three-pointers.

#9 – James Harden – 29,339 Points

Career scoring line: 29,339 points in 1,221 games, 24.0 points per game.

James Harden moved into ninth after passing Carmelo Anthony and Shaquille O’Neal during the 2025–26 season. His peak in Houston supplied the biggest scoring surge, including three straight scoring titles and a 36.1-point average in 2018–19.

Harden’s path was built around three-pointers, free throws and the ability to create efficient shots without needing a traditional post scorer beside him. He now leads Shaq by 743 points and is the only player outside the top eight to surpass 29,000 NBA points.

#8 – Wilt Chamberlain – 31,419 Points

Career scoring line: 31,419 points in 1,045 games, 30.1 points per game.

Wilt Chamberlain needed fewer games than anyone else in the top 10 to build his career total. His 50.4 points per game in 1961–62 and 100-point performance remain the loudest scoring numbers in league history, but his consistency was nearly as absurd. He averaged at least 33 points in each of his first seven seasons.

Wilt ranks eighth in total points because his 14-season career was shorter than those of most players ahead of him. On scoring rate, only Michael Jordan finished with a slightly higher career average.

#7 – Dirk Nowitzki – 31,560 Points

Career scoring line: 31,560 points in 1,522 games, 20.7 points per game.

Dirk Nowitzki finished only 141 points ahead of Chamberlain, but the two reached the neighborhood in opposite ways. Wilt overwhelmed the league at an unmatched rate; Dirk accumulated points across 21 seasons while reshaping what teams expected from a seven-foot forward.

His shooting pulled big defenders away from the rim, while the one-legged fadeaway gave him a dependable late-clock option that remained effective well into his thirties. Dirk is still the highest-scoring player who spent his entire NBA career with one franchise.

#6 – Michael Jordan – 32,292 Points

Career scoring line: 32,292 points in 1,072 games, an NBA-record 30.1 points per game.

Michael Jordan ranks sixth in total points despite playing far fewer games than everyone immediately around him. His record 10 scoring titles explain the difference. Jordan led the league in scoring in every full Chicago season from 1986–87 through 1997–98 except the season he returned from baseball with 17 games remaining.

Kevin Durant passed Jordan in 2025–26, but Jordan still owns the career scoring-average record at 30.12 points per game, narrowly ahead of Chamberlain. Total points reward longevity; scoring average shows how much damage Jordan produced whenever he was on the floor.

#5 – Kevin Durant – 32,597 Points

Career scoring line: 32,597 points in 1,201 games, 27.1 points per game.

Kevin Durant made the largest move near the top of the list during 2025–26. His 2,026-point season carried him past Wilt Chamberlain, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Jordan, moving him from eighth to fifth.

Durant’s scoring profile is unusually complete. He can create from the perimeter, punish smaller defenders in the post and finish over contests that would bother almost any other scorer. He enters the 2026 offseason 305 points ahead of Jordan and 1,046 behind Kobe Bryant.

#4 – Kobe Bryant – 33,643 Points

Career scoring line: 33,643 points in 1,346 games, 25.0 points per game.

Kobe Bryant spent 20 seasons building the deepest scoring résumé in Los Angeles Lakers history. His footwork and shot-making allowed him to create attempts from nearly every spot on the floor, while his willingness to keep attacking produced some of the league’s most memorable outbursts.

The 81-point game against Toronto is his signature scoring performance, but his career placement came from repeated high-volume seasons. Kobe scored at least 2,000 points eight times and remained the NBA’s third-leading scorer until LeBron passed him in January 2020.

#3 – Karl Malone – 36,928 Points

Career scoring line: 36,928 points in 1,476 games, 25.0 points per game.

Karl Malone combined strength, durability and one of basketball’s most productive pick-and-roll partnerships. He scored at least 2,000 points in 11 different seasons and missed only 10 regular-season games across his first 18 years with Utah.

Malone never won a scoring title, which separates him from many names in the top 10. His position came from living near 25 points per game for almost two decades rather than owning one unmatched scoring peak.

#2 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38,387 Points

Career scoring line: 38,387 points in 1,560 games, 24.6 points per game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA career scoring record for nearly 39 years. The skyhook gave him a high-percentage shot that was almost impossible to block, and his ability to stay productive across 20 seasons allowed him to keep adding to the record after his athletic peak.

Kareem retired in 1989 with 38,387 points and remained No. 1 until LeBron passed him on February 7, 2023. He is still 1,459 points ahead of Karl Malone and remains the only player besides LeBron to reach 38,000.

#1 – LeBron James – 43,440 Points

Career scoring line: NBA-record 43,440 points in 1,622 games, 26.8 points per game.

LeBron James owns the record because he combined star-level scoring with a level of longevity the league had never seen. He was never primarily described as a pure scorer, yet he averaged at least 20 points in each of his first 23 seasons and finished 2025–26 with another 1,256 regular-season points.

LeBron now leads Kareem by 5,053 points. A player would need to average 25 points while appearing in all 82 games for more than two full seasons just to cover that gap. The record will keep moving for as long as LeBron continues playing.

What Changed After the 2025–26 Season?

The top of the leaderboard changed more than usual. LeBron increased his record from 42,184 to 43,440 points. Durant climbed three positions by passing Chamberlain, Nowitzki and Jordan, while Harden passed Carmelo Anthony and Shaquille O’Neal to enter the top 10.

Several active scorers also reshaped the top 20. Russell Westbrook moved to 14th with 27,176 points, DeMar DeRozan reached 26,711 and moved one point ahead of Oscar Robertson, and Stephen Curry rose to 19th with 26,528.

Farther down the table, Devin Booker and Nikola Jokić both crossed 18,000 points. CJ McCollum, Kawhi Leonard and Karl-Anthony Towns also moved comfortably inside the top 150.

What Career Points Reveal About Longevity

Career points do not answer the same question as points per game. Jordan and Chamberlain lead the NBA in career scoring average, but LeBron and Kareem lead in total points because they combined high-level production with substantially longer careers.

The contrast between Chamberlain and Nowitzki makes the difference clear. Wilt averaged roughly 9.4 more points per game, yet Dirk finished 141 points ahead because he played 477 more games.

The leaderboard also reflects changes in style. Earlier stars generated most of their scoring inside the arc and at the free-throw line. Modern scorers such as Harden, Curry and Durant benefit from greater three-point volume, but they still need exceptional durability to approach the totals created by LeBron, Kareem and Malone.

Top 150 NBA Career Scoring Leaders

This table includes the top 150 ranks in NBA regular-season points through the 2025–26 season. NBA ties use shared ranks, so the next rank is skipped when two players have the same total.

FAQ: Most Points Scored in NBA History

Who has scored the most points in NBA history?

LeBron James holds the NBA regular-season career scoring record with 43,440 points through the 2025–26 season.

Who held the NBA scoring record before LeBron James?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the record with 38,387 points. His mark stood from April 1984 until LeBron passed it on February 7, 2023.

Why is Julius Erving not in the NBA top 10?

Julius Erving scored 30,026 points when his ABA and NBA totals are combined, but he scored 18,364 in NBA regular-season games. This article uses NBA-only totals consistently.

Why does Moses Malone have 27,409 points here instead of 29,580?

Moses Malone scored 27,409 points in the NBA and 2,171 in the ABA. The commonly listed 29,580 total combines both leagues.

Are playoff points included in the NBA career scoring record?

No. The standard NBA career scoring leaderboard counts regular-season points only. Playoff scoring is tracked separately.

Scope: NBA regular-season career points through the completed 2025–26 season. ABA, playoff and preseason points are excluded.

Last reviewed: July 23, 2026.

Conclusion: LeBron James Owns the NBA Scoring Record

LeBron James leads NBA history with 43,440 regular-season points, giving him a 5,053-point advantage over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kevin Durant’s rise to fifth and James Harden’s move into ninth were the biggest changes after 2025–26, but neither is close to the record yet.

The leaderboard rewards more than one explosive scoring peak. Reaching the top requires elite production, durability and enough adaptability to keep scoring as the league changes around you. No player has combined those qualities for longer than LeBron.

More NBA Rankings

For a modern-era comparison, see the players with the most NBA points since 2000. You can also compare postseason scoring through the NBA Finals career points tier list.

For other major counting stats from the same era, explore the NBA assists leaders since 2000 and NBA rebounds leaders since 2000.

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