LeBron becomes 3rd player to reach 35K career points

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 18, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE

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LeBron James continued putting his stamp on the NBA's record books Thursday night by becoming the third player in league history to reach the 35,000-point plateau.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar accomplished the feat by draining a free throw in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets.

With this free throw, LeBron James becomes the 3rd player in NBA history to reach 35,000 career points, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone!

Watch on TNT pic.twitter.com/UWaz1fnqFn
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021

James trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Marlone (36,928) on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He's the youngest of the three to reach the milestone.

The legendary forward is putting together a strong case for his fifth MVP award with averages of 25.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists entering Thursday's contest. If James were to continue averaging 25 points, he'd pass Abdul-Jabbar to become the league's all-time leading scorer in approximately 130 games (during the 2022-23 campaign), according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.