In the long history of the NBA, only thirty players have scored 25,000 points or more in the regular season. To put that into perspective, more than 50 players have scored 20,000 points, making 25,000 an exclusive milestone reserved for the game’s most prolific scorers. Achieving this feat requires not only elite scoring ability but also consistency, longevity, and durability—qualities that separate good players from all-time greats.

The 25,000-point list is filled with players you’d expect—legends so iconic they’re known by a single name or nickname: Kareem, Michael, Wilt, Kobe, Dirk, and Moses. You also have modern superstars like Melo, KD, Shaq, Big O, KG, and the latest to join the list: Steph Curry. These players represent different eras, playing styles, and positions, but they all share one thing in common: an unmatched ability to put the ball in the basket at a historic rate. Scoring 25,000 points isn’t just about talent; it’s about sustained excellence over a decade or more.

On the other hand, the list also doesn’t include some big names that are usually in the discussion for the best NBA players of all time: Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Dwyane Wade immediately come to mind.

Here’s the full list of all 30 players who have reached this incredible milestone in their regular-season careers.

As of this post DeMar DeRozan has 24,877 points with more than 20 games remaining, so the former Raptor and current Sacramento King will be the 31st player to score 25,000 points sometime during the last quarter of the 2024-25 season

Longevity vs. Peak Scoring in NBA History

Interestingly, in sports conversations, football statistics tend to dominate discussions about offensive production, especially in categories like passing yards, rushing records, or touchdown totals. However, in basketball, longevity-based milestones like total points scored serve as one of the best ways to measure sustained excellence. Just as an NFL quarterback’s total passing yards or a running back’s career rushing yards define their legacy, a basketball player’s ability to consistently rack up points over a decade or more separates legends from temporary stars.

Looking at this list, it’s clear that while some players were elite scorers for a short period, others sustained high-level production for decades. For example, Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-foot sharpshooter known for his signature one-legged fadeaway, ranks #7 all-time, despite never leading the league in scoring in any season. This is a testament to how longevity plays a crucial role in reaching such an exclusive milestone. If not for injuries, Nowitzki would have easily surpassed Shaquille O’Neal for the #6 spot before retiring. Similarly, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, while never leading the NBA in scoring, made the list due to years of steady offensive contributions.

I’m shocked to see Dirk so high up on the list; the 7-0 sharpshooter is #7 on this list. Barring injuries, Nowitzki will surpass Shaquille O’Neal for #6 ALL-TIME before 2016 despite never leading the league in scoring. Also, a bit of a surprise to see Paul Pierce on the list too. He’s never sniffed being the league leader in points (so hasn’t fellow 25K-member Kevin Garnett), so here’s to being a sustained performer.

Points are great and obviously a critical part of the game, and this list is full of NBA champions. In fact, only four players on this exclusive list never won an NBA championship: Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, Reggie Miller and Alex English. Four of the next five players that are short of 25,000 points also didn’t win a championship – Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson.

The Youngest NBA Player to Score 25,000 Points

Age-based milestones are often misleading, but it’s still impressive. We’ve been all over the “youngest” record and how age has very little to do with “fastest” so we won’t get into it again. That said, not only was LeBron James the “youngest” to 20,000 NBA points, but he also became the “youngest” player to join the 25K club when he scored his 25,000th point at 30 years, 307 days old, “breaking” the Kobe Bryant’s “record” by 209 days. Bryant hit the 25K mark at 31 years, 151 days old.

However, if Kevin Durant stays healthy, there’s a chance he could break LeBron’s youngest record in the future. Given his efficiency and scoring prowess, Durant is well on pace to move even higher up the all-time scoring list before his career is over.

For a longer look and list of the NBA players that were the youngest and fastest to 25,000 points, click here.

Related Basketball Milestones Posts: LeBron James is youngest, but not fastest NBA player to score 30,000 points, Dirk is “Slowest” to 30,000 points, LeBron hits 28,000 points, Kobe Bryant Youngest, not Fastest NBA player to 30,000 points, The 40+ fastest players to score 20,000 NBA points, Carmelo scores 20,000 points