LeBron James Breaks NBA All-Time Field Goal Record Despite Lakers’ Loss to Nuggets

LeBron James set a new NBA milestone on Thursday, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most career field goals, but the achievement couldn’t prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from falling 120-113 to the Denver Nuggets.

James, who already holds the NBA all-time points record, moved past Abdul-Jabbar’s 15,837 field goals with a fadeaway jumper in the first quarter.

The 41-year-old, now in his 23rd NBA season, has fueled retirement speculation in recent weeks, telling reporters in January: “I don’t know what the future holds.”

James scored 16 points in the loss and appeared to injure his left elbow in the fourth quarter after being shoved off the court and landing awkwardly on a cameraman’s legs. He returned for the final two minutes, visibly in pain.

Despite a late surge that closed the gap to one point with two minutes remaining, the Nuggets led wire-to-wire. Nikola Jokic recorded another triple-double with 28 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds. “They’re a difficult team to beat,” Jokic said. “We scored when we needed.”

The loss could impact playoff positioning, with the Lakers sitting sixth — the final automatic playoff spot — just behind Denver and two games clear of the Phoenix Suns, who lost 105-103 to the Chicago Bulls.

James’s career point total now exceeds 43,000, nearly 5,000 ahead of Abdul-Jabbar, whom he passed in 2023. While Abdul-Jabbar played most of his career before the three-point era, James’s new field goal record is further proof of his longevity and skill.

Victor Wembanyama Dominates for Spurs

Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama scored 38 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs routed Eastern Conference leaders Detroit Pistons 121-106.

The 7-foot-5 French star led the Spurs to their second straight wire-to-wire win and their 13th victory in 14 games. “Any game between top seeds should be impressive. For us, it was super fun,” Wembanyama said. “We dictated the game for 48 minutes.”

De’Aaron Fox added 29 points as San Antonio closed within three games of first-placed Oklahoma City Thunder, while Cade Cunningham scored 26 points in a losing effort for Detroit.

Warriors Edge Rockets in Overtime Thriller

The Golden State Warriors narrowly beat the Houston Rockets 115-113 in overtime. After 12 lead changes, Kevin Durant’s late three-pointer brought the Rockets within one in OT, but a rare miss on two consecutive free throws ended Houston’s hopes. The Warriors, hampered by injuries to stars including Stephen Curry, moved off eighth place with the crucial win.

Orlando Magic Triumph in Nail-Biter

The Orlando Magic edged the Dallas Mavericks 115-114, with last-second heroics from Jalen Suggs. Nineteen-year-old Cooper Flagg nearly won it for Dallas but ended up making history as the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career points — a milestone only LeBron James achieved at a younger age back in 2004.