LeBron James continues to break records in the NBA, as the Lakers star reached another major milestone on Thursday. After previously surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points in league history, James broke another one of his records by becoming the player with the most field goals made in NBA history.
The four-time NBA champion achieved the feat during the Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets as the team continues its push for a playoff spot.
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With James and Abdul-Jabbar occupying the first two spots on the all-time field goals made list, let’s take a look at the other players who feature on the leaderboard as we list the top five players with the most field goals made in NBA history.
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Top 5 players with the most field goals made in NBA history
#1. LeBron James – 15,840
LeBron James officially became the player with the most field goals made in NBA history on Thursday, adding to his already impressive resume.
The Lakers star reached the milestone at the end of the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets after draining a 12-foot two-pointer over Zeke Nnaji. The forward scored on a turnaround step-back shot after driving in from the sideline, with 12:23 remaining on the clock.
He reached the milestone in 1,606 games, 46 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
#2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 15,837
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the record for the most field goals made for over three decades before being surpassed by LeBron James on Thursday, having achieved the feat in 1,560 games.
While James reached the mark at age 41, Abdul-Jabbar was 42 when he recorded his final field goal, which came in his penultimate season in 1989. The Lakers legend scored his final field goal against the Seattle SuperSonics after dropping 10 points in what proved to be the final game of his career.
#3. Karl Malone – 13,528
The Mailman was the closest player to attempt to reach Kareem’s infamous record for most field goals made, eventually falling short by 2,309 field goals.
The two-time MVP was bound to feature on the list as he also remains third in all-time career points, ranked behind James and Kareem, recording 36,928 points in his illustrious career.
Active for 19 seasons, Malone spent 18 of them in Utah, becoming a Jazz legend. However, his final season came in a Lakers uniform, where he scored his final points in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, recording a single basket to take his career field goal tally to 13,528.
#4. Wilt Chamberlain – 12,681
Wilt Chamberlain was regarded as one of the most dominant players of his generation, and his field goal tally reflects that dominance. The four-time MVP played the fewest games among players on this list, making 1,045 appearances in his career.
Despite playing nearly 500 fewer games than LeBron James, the big man’s numbers remain impressive, as he recorded 12,681 field goals in his career.
While his final NBA game came against the Warriors, Chamberlain failed to score in his last two appearances, with his final field goal coming against the Seattle SuperSonics in March 1973 in a game where he recorded 20 points.
#5. Michael Jordan – 12,192
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan is the only player on this list who did not play for the Lakers. The Chicago Bulls legend finished his career with 12,192 field goals, with his final one coming in a Wizards jersey.
The Hall of Famer’s final points came against the Philadelphia 76ers in April 2003, in a game where he scored 15 points on six made field goals. The tally helped him reach a figure that still places him fifth on the all-time field goals list.
Kevin Durant, the only other active player near the list, is 1,126 field goals behind him, meaning Jordan could hold that position for years to come.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
