Top 10 Regular Season Scorers In NBA History (2024)

Throughout the history of the NBA , there have been many great scorers.

These players significantly impacted their franchises by helping them compete at a high level, and some even helped them win championships. These players also impacted the NBA as a whole by dominating the game with their elite scoring abilities.

This helped grow the sport to the level that it is today. Some changed how the game is played and raised the bar for future generations.

Unsurprisingly, the greatest scorers of all time include many NBA champions and All-Stars. These 10 players separated themselves from the other great scorers by scoring the most points in the regular season in NBA history.

They have become the most dominant scorers in league history and left a mark on the game of basketball.

Here are the 10 players with the most regular-season points in NBA history.

1 LeBron James

Points scored – 40,474 and counting

On February 7, 2023, LeBron James did something many believed impossible.

He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 's record of 38,387 points scored, a record that had stood for nearly four decades.

Since then, James has pushed the record to 40,474 points and will look to continue to make his new scoring record nearly impossible to pass.

LeBron was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as one of the most hyped prospects in NBA history. It is safe to say that he has lived up to the hype.

In his 21 seasons in the league, James has won four championships with three different franchises: the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and L.A. Lakers . He's a 20-time All-Star and 20-time All-NBA selection.

James is also a four-time NBA MVP and won his only scoring title in 2007-08 after averaging 30.0 points per game. Over his illustrious career, James has averaged 27.1 points per game en route to becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

He now enters the 22nd season of his career, looking to win his fifth championship and increase this record.

By the end of his career, LeBron will likely make this record nearly unbreakable.

To surpass him, a player would have to average 24.7 points per game over 20 seasons while playing all 82 games each year.

With the unlikelihood of that happening, The King may hold the scoring record forever.

2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Points scored – 38,387

On April 5, 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, passing Wilt Chamberlain's record of 31,419 points.

By the time he retired in 1989, Kareem had scored 38,387 points, which many believed would never be surpassed until James broke it in 2023.

Abdul-Jabbar began his NBA career in 1969 after being selected first overall by the Milwaukee Bucks . After spending his first six seasons in Milwaukee, including winning a championship in 1970-71, he was traded to the Lakers in 1975.

In Los Angeles, Kareem would win five more championships alongside fellow Hall of Famer Magic Johnson .

By the time he retired in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar had won six championships and was also a six-time NBA MVP. He was a 19-time All-Star and 15-time All-NBA selection during his 20 seasons in the NBA.

He won two scoring titles, his first in 1970-71 when he averaged 31.7 points per game. A year later, he would win his second scoring title after averaging 34.8 points per game.

Kareem retired in 1989, solidifying his status as not only one of the best centers of all time but also one of the best NBA players of all time. In 1995, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

3 Karl Malone

Points scored – 36,928

Despite never winning a championship, Karl Malone ended his career as one of the most dominant scorers in NBA history.

In his 19 seasons, he racked up 36,928 points.

Malone began his career in 1985 after being selected 13th overall by the Utah Jazz . He would spend his first 18 seasons in Utah, forming one of the best duos ever with John Stockton.

Despite the Jazz's dominance in the Western Conference during the 1990s, they could never win a championship.

Malone signed with the Lakers in 2003, hoping to win a championship, but they fell short after losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.

After losing in the finals, Malone retired, becoming one of the best players to never win a championship.

Despite never winning a title, Malone finished his career as one of the best power forwards ever.

He was a two-time MVP and 14-time All-Star and All-NBA selection. He is also one of just two players on this list who never won a scoring title.

In 2010, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

4 Kobe Bryant

Points scored – 33,643

Kobe Bryant was known as a dominant scorer. Over his 20 seasons in the NBA, he scored 33,643 points while becoming one of the best players in basketball history.

Bryant began his career in 1996 after being selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets . Charlotte would trade his draft rights to the Lakers; the rest is history.

Bryant would play all 20 seasons of his career with the Lakers, winning five championships. He was also part of two of the best duos in NBA history, with both Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol.

Bryant ended his career as a five-time champion and two-time Finals MVP. He won his only NBA MVP in 2007-08 and was also a 14-time All-Star and All-NBA selection. In 2020, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

5 Michael Jordan

Points scored – 32,292

There is no doubt that Michael Jordan is one of the most dominant scorers and players in NBA history.

In his 15 years in the NBA, he scored 32,292 points and averaged an NBA record 30.1 points per game.

Jordan began his career in 1984 after being selected third overall by the Chicago Bulls . Alongside Scottie Pippen and head coach Phil Jackson, Jordan would win six championships and six Finals MVPs during the Bulls' dominance in the 1990s.

Jordan ended his career in 2003 after spending his final two seasons playing for the Washington Wizards .

Over his 15 seasons in the NBA, he was a six-time champion, five-time NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection.

He won a record 10 scoring titles, including seven straight from 1986 to 1993, which included his career-high 37.1 points per game average in 1986-87. He then won three more from 1995 to 1998.

In 2009, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Despite Jordan's remarkable career, many wonder how much higher he would be on this list if he had not missed almost five full seasons due to retirement.

6 Dirk Nowitzki

Points scored – 31,560

Dirk Nowitzki is the only player on this list who was born outside the United States. The German forward scored 31,560 points during his 21 seasons, all of which came with the Dallas Mavericks .

Nowitzki began his career in 1998 after being selected ninth overall by the Bucks before being traded to the Mavericks. He would have a Hall of Fame career while becoming one of the best power forwards and foreign-born players in NBA history.

He also brought the Mavericks their only NBA championship in 2010-11.

Nowitzki retired in 2019, ending his career as an NBA champion and Finals MVP. He also won the NBA MVP award in 2006-07.

During his 21 seasons, he was a 14-time All-Star and 12-time All-NBA selection. In 2023, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

7 Wilt Chamberlain

Points scored – 31,419

Despite being seventh on this list, Wilt Chamberlain held the scoring record from 1966 to 1984 before Abdul-Jabbar passed him.

Over his 14 seasons in the NBA, Chamberlain scored 31,560 points. His career 30.1 points-per-game average is second all-time to Jordan.

Chamberlain began his dominant NBA career in 1959 after being selected third overall by the Philadelphia Warriors, now the Golden State Warriors .

Over the next 14 seasons, he would become one of the most dominant all-around players in NBA history. He would play six years with the Warriors, five years with the Lakers and four years with the Philadelphia 76ers .

Chamberlain won two championships during his NBA career, one with the 76ers in 1966-67 and the other with the Lakers in 1971-72. He was named the Finals MVP in 1971-72.

He was a four-time NBA MVP, a 13-time All-Star and a 10-time All-NBA selection.

He won seven scoring titles during his career, all of which came from 1959 to 1966. In 1961-62, he averaged an NBA record 50.4 points per game.

On March 2, 1962, he also became the only player to score 100 points in a single game, doing so against the New York Knicks .

Chamberlain retired in 1974, but his last season came in 1972-73, ending one of the most dominant careers in the NBA's history. In 1971, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

8 Kevin Durant

Points scored – 28,924 and counting

Kevin Durant is the only active player on this list besides LeBron. Over his 16 seasons in the NBA, he has scored 28,924 points.

As he enters his 17th season, he has a chance to move further up this list, especially with how dominant of a scorer he still is.

Durant began his career in 2006 after being selected second overall by the Seattle Supersonics, now the Oklahoma City Thunder . He spent his first nine seasons with the Thunder before signing with the Warriors in 2016.

It was in Golden State where Durant won his only two championships, claiming Finals MVP both times.

In 2019, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets , where he would play for the next three seasons before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2023.

He now enters his third season with the Suns, hoping to win the franchise its first championship in 2024-25.

Durant won the MVP award in 2013-14 and is a 14-time All-Star and 11-time All-NBA selection.

He has won four scoring titles during his career. The first three came from 2009 to 2012. His last came in 2013-14 when he averaged a career-high 32.0 points per game.

As Durant enters year number 17, he looks to build on his 27.1 points-per-game average last season and move further up this list while bringing a championship to Phoenix.

9 Shaquille O'Neal

Points scored – 28,596

There is little doubt that Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant inside scorers ever. The 7-foot-1, 325-pound center could bully his way in the paint, making him nearly unguardable.

He finished his 19-year career with 28,596 points.

O'Neal began his career in 1992 after being selected first overall by the Orlando Magic . He spent his first four seasons in Orlando before signing with the Lakers in 1996.

The Lakers became a powerhouse in the Western Conference over the next eight seasons thanks to O'Neal and Bryant. From 1999 to 2002, they won three championships and remain the last team to three-peat.

Shaq went on to win his fourth and final championship alongside Dwyane Wade on the Heat in 2005-06. He then played one season each for the Suns, Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before retiring in 2011.

O'Neal finished his career as a four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP. He also won the NBA MVP award in 1999-00.

Over his 19 seasons, he was a 15-time All-Star and 14-time All-NBA selection. He also won the scoring title in 1994-95, when he put up 29.3 points per game, and in 1999-00, when he scored a career-high 29.7 points per game.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

10 Carmelo Anthony

Points scored – 28,289

Carmelo Anthony joins Malone as the only players on this list without a championship. Despite never winning a title, Melo still had a great career and is among the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA.

In his 19 seasons, he scored 28,289 points.

Anthony began his career in 2003 after being selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets . He went on to play eight seasons in Denver before being traded to the Knicks in 2011.

He would spend the next seven seasons in New York before being traded to the Thunder in 2017.

Over the following five seasons, he would play for the Thunder, Houston Rockets , Portland Trail Blazers and Lakers before retiring in 2022.

Over his 19 seasons, Anthony was a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection. He was the scoring champion in 2012-13 after scoring 28.7 points per game.

Despite never winning a championship, the Syracuse star carved out a historic career that will lead him to the Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2026.

This list of NBA regular season scoring leaders includes all-time greats, and others can join them in the future. Some of those include James Harden (25,885 points), Russell Westbrook (25,211 points), Stephen Curry (23,582 points) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (18.502 points).

While James' scoring record may never be touched, there is still an opportunity for many active players to join this list in the future.