At this stage of his career, LeBron James gives the feeling of moving toward a historic milestone almost every month. Whether it’s due to longevity records, performances that no one at his age could have achieved, or a sheer accumulation of statistics, the recent years of the King have been packed with moments that help put everything he has accomplished over the many years he has played into perspective. And tonight, in the 76ers’ 112-106 win in Detroit, another one of those moments occurred.
The Akron native has become the first player to reach 16,000 made field goals in the regular season, reaching another figure that would have seemed utterly unimaginable not long ago and that he has helped bring back down to earth. With only two baskets needed to achieve the mark, the forward fulfilled the requirement right at the start of the second quarter, converting a layup over John Collins that added yet another achievement to his endless collection.
16,000 field goals made for LeBron James!
Another milestone for The King in Year 24 👑 https://t.co/F0gfA9n3ye
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2026
One might have expected that, as the all-time leading scorer for more than three years now, LeBron would also be the player with the most baskets made with a certain ease, but the truth is that this peak took longer to reach. The three-point shot allowed him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in points without needing to make as many baskets as he did, and in fact it wasn’t until March of this year that he surpassed the 15,837 that the legendary center accumulated over his 20 seasons.
But while Kareem’s tally stopped long ago, James continues to grow the number. Both are the only men not only to reach 15,000, but even to reach 14,000, marking a considerable distance from the rest of the pursuers. The same margin that now LeBron is gradually widening between first and second place, remaining, as in so many other statistics, completely alone at the top of the league.
