Sports & Fitness

The NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorers

Career regular-season points in the NBA, as of October 12, 2026, through the end of the 2025-26 regular season and before the 2026-27 season tips off on October 20. LeBron James leads by more than 5,000 points, and five of the top 20 are still active.

LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA career scoring record

Pictured: LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record (February 7, 2023), #1 with 43,440.

Rank Player Career points Games Points per game Status
1LeBron James43,4401,62226.8Active
2Kareem Abdul-Jabbar38,3871,56024.6Retired
3Karl Malone36,9281,47625.0Retired
4Kobe Bryant33,6431,34625.0Retired
5Kevin Durant32,5971,20127.1Active
6Michael Jordan32,2921,07230.1Retired
7Dirk Nowitzki31,5601,52220.7Retired
8Wilt Chamberlain31,4191,04530.1Retired
9James Harden29,3391,22124.0Active
10Shaquille O’Neal28,5961,20723.7Retired
11Carmelo Anthony28,2891,26022.5Retired
12Moses Malone27,4091,32920.6Retired
13Elvin Hayes27,3131,30321.0Retired
14Russell Westbrook27,1761,30120.9Retired
15Hakeem Olajuwon26,9461,23821.8Retired
16DeMar DeRozan26,7111,26421.1Active
17Oscar Robertson26,7101,04025.7Retired
18Dominique Wilkins26,6681,07424.8Retired
19Stephen Curry26,5281,06924.8Active
20Tim Duncan26,4961,39219.0Retired

As of October 12, 2026, through the end of the 2025-26 regular season; no 2026-27 games are included. NBA regular-season points only: playoff points and ABA points (which the NBA’s official list also excludes) are not counted. Active players (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan and Stephen Curry) will add to their totals in 2026-27; the order changes only when someone passes the player above them.[1] Rows 11–20 are sourced in note 13.[13]

The Top 10

#1

LeBron James — 43,440 points

James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on February 7, 2023, with a fadeaway jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against Oklahoma City, finishing a 133-130 loss with 38 points and 38,390 for his career.[2] He added 1,256 points in 60 games in 2025-26 (20.9 per game), and in July 2026 he reportedly signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for a record 24th season, so he is listed as active.[3]

#2

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 38,387 points

Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlain on April 5, 1984, with a skyhook against the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas, and his record then stood until LeBron James broke it in 2023.[4] He finished at 38,387 points over 20 seasons, averaging 24.6 per game.[4]

#3

Karl Malone — 36,928 points

Malone scored 36,928 points at 25.0 per game, almost all of it with the Utah Jazz.[5] A two-time MVP and 14-time All-Star, he set his career high of 61 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 27, 1990.[5]

#4

Kobe Bryant — 33,643 points

Bryant ended a 20-season career at 33,643 points, scoring 60 against the Utah Jazz in a 101-96 comeback win on April 13, 2016.[6] He took a career-high 50 shots that night and scored 23 in the fourth quarter.[6]

#5

Kevin Durant — 32,597 points

Durant is the highest active scorer on the list after LeBron. He passed Wilt Chamberlain in January 2026, Dirk Nowitzki on January 18 and Michael Jordan in a 123-122 Houston win over Miami in March, and ended 2025-26 at 32,597.[7] He averaged 26.0 points in 78 games for the Rockets that season.[7]

#6

Michael Jordan — 32,292 points

Jordan scored 32,292 points in only 1,072 games, a career average of 30.12 that is still the highest in NBA history.[8] His career high was 69 points against Cleveland on March 28, 1990.[8]

#7

Dirk Nowitzki — 31,560 points

Nowitzki became the sixth player to reach 30,000 points in March 2017, with 25 points and a fadeaway over Larry Nance Jr.[9] He finished with 31,560 in 1,522 games, and Durant passed him in January 2026.[9]

#8

Wilt Chamberlain — 31,419 points

Chamberlain scored 31,419 points in just 1,045 games, an average of 30.07 per game, second only to Jordan.[10] His 100-point game against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962 (a 169-147 Warriors win) is a record that still stands, but no complete footage of it is known, so this entry keeps the trophy icon instead of a video.[10]

#9

James Harden — 29,339 points

Harden passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth on January 12, 2026, with 28,598 points after 32 points in a 117-109 Clippers win over Charlotte.[11] He scored 1,652 points in 70 games in 2025-26 (23.6 per game), split between the Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and is still active.[11]

#10

Shaquille O’Neal — 28,596 points

O’Neal scored 28,596 points in 1,207 games, a 23.7 average built mostly on dunks and layups.[12] His career high was 61 points, with 23 rebounds, against the Clippers on his 28th birthday, March 6, 2000.[12]

Basketball NBA Records Sports

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "List of NBA career scoring leaders" (updated through 2025-26); Land of Basketball, "NBA All-Time Scoring Leaders: Career Totals in the Regular Season"; Olympics.com, "LeBron James points tracker"; Statista, "NBA all-time scoring list 2026" — career regular-season points and rank, NBA games only (ABA points are excluded, as on the NBA’s official list), playoffs excluded. The top five were cross-checked against ESPN’s history leaders page; the 2026-27 season opens October 20, 2026 (Fox Sports, Dunkest), so no totals include 2026-27 games.
  2. CBS Sports and Associated Press coverage of LeBron James passing Abdul-Jabbar (February 7, 2023); CBS Sports, "LeBron James hits 40,000 points"; Land of Basketball, LeBron James 2025-26 stats (60 games, 1,256 points).
  3. Rotowire and Sports Mole, LeBron James’ July 2026 two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers (reported by few outlets; treat the team as provisional); Awful Announcing and FantasyNerds, 2026-27 schedule coverage.
  4. Las Vegas Review-Journal and NBA.com, "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becomes NBA’s all-time leading scorer (4/5/84)"; Land of Basketball (1,560 games, 24.61 points per game).
  5. Wikipedia and Land of Basketball, Karl Malone (36,928 points, 1,476 games, 25.02 per game); YouTube video descriptions for his 61-point game on January 27, 1990.
  6. Associated Press, "Kobe scores 60 points in unbelievable farewell victory" (April 13, 2016); Land of Basketball (33,643 points, 1,346 games).
  7. Associated Press (Durant passes Nowitzki, January 19, 2026; Durant passes Wilt Chamberlain, January 2026); theScore, "Durant passes Jordan for 5th on NBA’s all-time scoring list" (March 2026); Olympics.com and Wikipedia for the 32,597 total; Land of Basketball for 2025-26 games and averages.
  8. Land of Basketball and Wikipedia, Michael Jordan (32,292 points, 1,072 games, 30.12 per game); YouTube, "Michael Jordan’s CAREER-HIGH 69-PT Performance" (March 28, 1990).
  9. ESPN and TSN coverage of Dirk Nowitzki’s milestones; YouTube coverage of his 30,000th point (March 2017); Land of Basketball (1,522 games; points per game computed from points and games).
  10. Land of Basketball, Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points, 1,045 games, 30.07 per game); YouTube history coverage of the March 2, 1962 game and the absence of complete footage.
  11. Associated Press via KSAT and Fox LA, "James Harden passes Shaquille O’Neal for 9th place" (January 12-13, 2026); Land of Basketball and ESPN for Harden’s 29,339 points, 1,221 games and 2025-26 totals (70 games, 1,652 points).
  12. Land of Basketball and StatMuse, Shaquille O’Neal (28,596 points, 1,207 games, 23.69 per game); Land of Basketball comparison page for Carmelo Anthony; YouTube, "Shaq Scores Career-High 61 On His 28th Birthday."
  13. Rows 11–20: Wikipedia and Land of Basketball for Moses Malone (27,409; 1,329 games), Elvin Hayes (27,313; 1,303), Russell Westbrook (27,176; 1,301; retired August 2026, per the Free Press Journal and FantasyNerds), Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946; 1,238), Oscar Robertson (26,710; 1,040), Dominique Wilkins (26,668; 1,074), Stephen Curry (26,528; 1,069; 43 games and 1,142 points in 2025-26), Tim Duncan (26,496; 1,392); NBA.com and Associated Press for DeMar DeRozan (26,711 points, 16th, signed with Denver in 2026). Points per game for rows without a quoted average are computed from points and games.