NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points

This article lists the NBA All-Time Leaders in career points: it includes each player's total points, games played, points per game (PPG), field goal percentage (FG%), free throw percentage (FT%), and active period.

Among those NBA players ranked in the top twenty-five in career points, four scored more than 30,000 points and all twenty-five scored more than 20,000 points. Career points per game for these players range from 14.5 to 30.1. The range for career field goal percentages for these players is .425 to .582 with eleven achieving shooting percentages greater than .500. Fourteen of these players had careers lasting more than 15 years, five spent their entire careers with just one team, and five remain active. Only one active player on this list stands any reasonable chance of overcoming the current all-time leader in career points; however, he would have to play at least another five years without a scoring average drop-off.

After reading this article, return to the following links to read: "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points Per Game (PPG)," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Pointers Made," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career 3 Point Percentage," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throws Made," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Free Throw Percentage," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds," "NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Rebounds Per Game (RPG) ," "NBA Champions (1947-present)," "NBA Finals MVPs (1969-present)," "NBA All-Star Game Scores (1951-present)," and "NBA All-Star Game MVPs (1951-present)."

1. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Total Points: 38,387
Games Played: 1,560
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.6
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .559
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .721
Active Period: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975); Los Angeles Lakers (1975-1988)

2. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Karl Malone

Total Points: 36,928
Games Played: 1,476
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.0
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .516
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .742
Active Period: Utah Jazz (1985-2002); Los Angeles Lakers (2002-2003)

3. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Michael Jordan

Total Points: 32,292
Games Played: 1,072
Points Per Game (PPG): 30.1
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .497
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .835
Active Period: Chicago Bulls (1984-1993, 1995-1998); Washington Wizzards (2002-2003)

4. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Wilt Chamberlain

Total Points: 31,419
Games Played: 1,045
Points Per Game (PPG): 30.1
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .540
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .511
Active Period: Philadelphia/S.F. Warriors (1959-1965); Philadelphia 76ers (1965-1968); Los Angeles Lakers (1968-1973)

5. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Shaquille O'Neal

Total Points: 28,590
Games Played: 1,206
Points Per Game (PPG): 23.7
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .582
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .527
Active Period: Orlando Magic (1992-1996); Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004); Miami Heat (2004-2007, 2007-2008); Phoenix Suns (2007-2008, 2008-2009), Cleveland Indians (2009-2010); Boston Celtics (2010-present)

6. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Moses Malone

Total Points: 27,409
Games Played: 1,329
Points Per Game (PPG): 20.6
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .491
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .769
Active Period: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Houston Rockets (1976-1982); Philadelphia 76ers (1982-1986); Washington Bullets (1986-1988); Atlanta Hawks (1988-1991); Milwaukee Bucks (1991-1993); San Antonio Spurs (1994-1995)

7. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Elvin Hayes

Total Points: 27,313
Games Played: 1,303
Points Per Game (PPG): 21.0
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .452
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .670
Active Period: San Diego/Houston Rockets (1968-1972, 1981-1984); Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1972-1981)

8. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Kobe Bryant

Total Points: 27,045
Games Played: 1,070
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.3
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .503
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .778
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1996-present)

9. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Hakeem Olajuwon

Total Points: 26,946
Games Played: 1,238
Points Per Game (PPG): 21.8
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .512
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .712
Active Period: Houston Rockets (1984-2002)

10. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Oscar Robertson

Total Points: 26,710
Games Played: 1,040
Points Per Game (PPG): 25.7
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .485
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .838
Active Period: Cincinnati Royals (1960-1970); Milwaukee Bucks (1970-1974)

11. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Dominique Wilkins

Total Points: 26,668
Games Played: 1,074
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.8
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .461
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .811
Active Period: Atlanta Hawks (1982-1994); Los Angeles Clippers (1993-1994); Boston Celtics (1994-1995); San Antonio Spurs (1996-1997); Orlando Magic (1998-1999)

12. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - John Havlicek

Total Points: 26,395
Games Played: 1,270
Points Per Game (PPG): 20.8
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .439
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .815
Active Period: Boston Celtics (1962-1978)

13. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Alex English

Total Points: 25,613
Games Played: 1,193
Points Per Game (PPG): 21.5
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .507
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .832
Active Period: Milwaukee Bucks (1976-1978); Indiana Pacers (1978-1980); Denver Nuggets (1979-1980); Dallas Mavericks (1990-1991)

14. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Reggie Miller

Total Points: 25,279
Games Played: 1,389
Points Per Game (PPG): 18.2
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .449
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .893
Active Period: Indiana Pacers (1989-2005)

15. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Jerry West

Total Points: 25,192
Games Played: 932
Points Per Game (PPG): 27.0
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .474
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .814
Active Period: Los Angeles Lakers (1960-1974)

16. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Patrick Ewing

Total Points: 24,815
Games Played: 1,183
Points Per Game (PPG): 21.0
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .504
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .740
Active Period: New York Knicks (1985-2000); Seattle SuperSonics (2000-2001); Orlando Magic (2001-2002)

17. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Allen Iverson

Total Points: 24,638
Games Played: 914
Points Per Game (PPG): 26.7
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .425
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Active Period: Philadelphia 76ers (1996-2006, 2009-2010); Denver Nuggets (2006-2009); Detroit Pistons (2008-2010); Memphis Grizzlies (2009)

18. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Charles Barkley

Total Points: 23,757
Games Played: 1,073
Points Per Game (PPG): 22.1
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .541
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .735
Active Period: Philadelphia 76ers (1984-1992); Phoenix Suns (1992-1996); Houston Rockets (1996-2000)

19. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Robert Parish

Total Points: 23,334
Games Played: 1,611
Points Per Game (PPG): 14.5
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .537
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .721
Active Period: Golden State Warriors (1976-1980); Boston Celtics (1980-1994); Charlotte Hornets (1994-1996); Chicago Bulls (1996-1997)

20. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Adrian Dantley

Total Points: 23,177
Games Played: 955
Points Per Game (PPG): 24.3
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .540
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .818
Active Period: Buffalo Braves (1976-1977); Indiana Pacers (1977); Los Angeles Lakers (1977-1979); Utah Jazz (1979-1986); Detroit Pistons (1986-1989); Dallas Mavericks (1988-1990); Milwaukee Bucks (1990-1991)

21. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Elgin Baylor

Total Points: 23,149
Games Played: 846
Points Per Game (PPG): 27.4
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .431
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .780
Active Period: Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers (1958-1971)

22. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Kevin Garnett

Total Points: 22,868
Games Played: 1,164
Points Per Game (PPG): 19.6
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .498
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .786
Active Period: Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-2007); Boston Celtics (2007-2011)

23. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Clyde Drexler

Total Points: 22,795
Games Played: 1,086
Points Per Game (PPG): 20.4
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .472
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .788
Active Period: Portland Trailblazers (1983-1995); Houston Rockets (1995-1998)

24. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Dirk Nowitzski

Total Points: 21,987
Games Played: 958
Points Per Game (PPG): 23
Field Goal Percentage (FG%):.475
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .876
Active Period: Dallas Mavericks (1998-present)

25. NBA All-Time Leaders: Career Points - Ray Allen

Total Points: 21,819
Games Played: 1,071
Points Per Game (PPG): 20.4
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): .452
Free Throw Percentage (FT%): .893
Active Period: Milwaukee Bucks (1996-2003); Seattle SuperSonics (2003-2007); Boston Celtics (2007-present)

Source(s):

"ALL-TIME LEADERS: POINTS," NBA.com