From Michael Jordan to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

As Lebron James gets closer to history, many basketball fans are curious to know who the NBA’s all-time leaders are. Well, you can stop your search here with our full rundown of the top 25 goalscorers in league history.

Not surprisingly, the all-time leading scorers include many NBA champions and stars. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the current scoring king and the other 24 players on the NBA’s all-time leading list.

Also Read: 20 Greatest NBA Players of All Time

Who has the highest scoring record in NBA history?

For nearly 20 years, Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain held the record for most runs scored in league history. The mark set by the man who once scored 100 points in a game at one point seemed insurmountable. That was until Lou Alcindor entered the league in 1969 and began charting his own legendary path.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers legend, who would eventually be known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, needed 15 seasons to surpass Chamberlain on the NBA’s all-time leading list. He became the new scoring king in April 1984 and would increase that number for five more seasons before ending his career with an absurd 38,387.

Which players are in the top 25 of the NBA’s all-time scoring list? Credit: Stephen Lew – USA TODAY Sports

There have been many NBA competitors who were talented scorers. However, of the thousands of players who have come through the league over the past 70 years, few have been able to score at a consistently high level for more than a few seasons.

New York Knicks great Patrick Ewing, Houston Rockets icon Hakeem Olajuwon and five-time champion Tim Duncan are among the top 25 scorers of all time. Below, you can get an overview of the 25-11 players on the NBA’s all-time leading list.

25. Ray Allen (24,505) 24. Patrick Ewing (24,815) 23. Jerry West (25,192) 22. Reggie Miller (25,279) 21. Alex English (25,613) 20. Vince Carter (25,728) 19. Kevin Garnet (26,071) 18 John Havlicek (26,395) 17. Paul Pierce (26,397) 16. Tim Duncan (26,496) 15. Dominique Wilkins (26,668) 14. Kevin Durant (26,684) 13. Oscar Robertson ( 26,710) 12. Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) 11. Elvin Hayes (27,313) NBA All-Time Scorers List: Top 10 Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

There are 10 players who stand out above the rest when it comes to posting points in the National Basketball Association. Let’s take a look at the 10 players who have been the top scorers in NBA history.

10. Moses Malone (27,409)

Moses Malone was one of the greatest men in history and a gifted scorer due to his incredible ability to pull off offensive rebounds. The great Rockets and 76ers hold the top four spots for offensive charts in a season, as well as in a single game. Many of those rebounds led to second-chance field goals and an easy path to landing in the top 10 on the NBA’s all-time points list.

9. Carmelo Anthony (28,289)

Carmelo Anthony was a division talent often ridiculed for his lack of defensive effort. However, he will always go down as one of the most versatile half-court scorers the league has ever seen. He could post and use a multitude of moves to get high percentage buckets, or shoot and kick a jumper from anywhere on the floor. Few were more complete than Carmelo Anthony.

8. Shaquille O’Neal (28,596)

Shaquille O’Neal was a force of nature during his 20 years in the league as no player in NBA history has been a fiercer contender for the position than “The Diesel.” He was never a gifted shooter, however, his exceptional touch and elite athleticism for his size allowed him to bully players into the paint on legendary runs with the Magic, Lakers and Heat. One can only wonder how much higher he would be on the list if he weren’t a career 58% shooter from the free throw line.

7. Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)

Wilt Chamberlain was a pioneer in the sport and one of its first dominant forces. He was an All-Star in his 16 seasons and averaged over 30 points per game in his first nine seasons. Including a record that will never be broken, when he posted 50.4 points per game in 80 meetings in 1961-62.

6. Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Dirk Nowitzki has put international basketball on the NBA map like never before. And it was understandable. The German had Larry Bird’s shooting ability in a Moses Malone body. When it was on and hitting its fadeaway sweater, it was pretty much unstoppable. Dirk Nowitzki changed the game forever and opened the door to the exploits of talented big shots like Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic.

5. Michael Jordan (32,292)

Michael Jordan will be considered by many to be the greatest player in NBA history. However, beyond being a tenacious defender, a born leader, a fierce winner and an excellent goalscorer. But with his elite score, he could do it in the biggest moments and on the biggest stages. Now, the player among the NBA’s top 10 all-time scorers was more effective than the Chicago Bulls legend.

4. Kobe Bryant (33,643)

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points in an NBA game at 100, however, many consider Kobe Bryant’s 81-point masterpiece in 2006 the best game ever. It was a showcase of his full repertoire of scoring abilities. There was nothing the gifted athlete and five-time champion couldn’t do on the basketball court. And like his mentor Michael Jordan, he was an incredible late-game shooter.

3. Karl Malone (36,928)

Until recently, Utah Jazz icon Karl Malone was the No. 2 man on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. While Malone and teammate John Stockton are forever linked due to their pick-and-roll genius, it overshadows just how great a scorer Malone was. He could dominate deep in the post, come up and hit the J, or show off his elite Shaquille O’Neal-like touch around the basket. Malone was the all-time leading scorer.

2. Lebron James (38,299)

There has been no player in NBA history quite like Lebron James. He entered the league aged 18 in 2004 and was never disappointed despite the ridiculous hype surrounding him. Few players had nearly the same drive to improve, and the 18-time All-Star only got better with age. He went from a monster athlete with incredible downhill skills to a fantastic scorer who could hit a shot from anywhere.

Lebron James is only the second player in NBA history to reach 38,000 points and will soon pass the all-time milestone.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a truly special goalscorer. Yet what makes his legend all the more fascinating is that his rise to the top of the NBA’s list of all-time leaders came with the invention of a shot that no one had. done before and never mastered since – the hook shot. While overtaken by James, Abdul-Jabbar’s stranglehold on the record remains one of the greatest feats in sports history.