LeBron James has become the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points, hitting a scoop lay-up off the glass in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' home game against the Denver Nuggets.

James, who entered the game needing nine points to reach the milestone, used a spin move to create separation from Denver's Michael Porter Jr and put the ball in with his left hand, as the all-time scoring leader continues to put his record further out of reach.

The sold-out crowd in downtown Los Angeles roared with approval when James made the highly anticipated shot to reach 40,000 points and gave him a standing ovation when he went to the bench at the next break.

His feat was not enough to get the Lakers over the line, however, with the Nuggets making a late push to win 124-114.

James became the NBA's all-time scoring leader over a year ago when he passed former Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7, 2023.

Abdul-Jabbar had 38,387 points over 20 seasons.

James, 39, is the oldest player in the NBA, but he continues to produce at an elite level in his 21st season, where he is on track to average about 25 points per game.

Earlier in the week, James scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 21-point deficit to the Clippers as the 10th-placed Lakers fight for a play-off spot in the crowded Western Conference.

Drafted into the league as a teenager, James has more than delivered on the massive expectations put on his broad shoulders at a young age.

James scored the first points of his career as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 29, 2003, against the Sacramento Kings.

He reached 10,000 points in February 2008, and hit 20,000 points in January 2013. James made his 30,000th point in January 2018.

A versatile forward, James helped usher in the era of position-less basketball, winning four titles with three different teams, four MVP awards and four Finals MVP awards.

James has a player-option for the 2024/25 NBA season, which gives him the power to decide whether to stay with the Lakers for another year or become an unrestricted free agent.

So far, he has refrained from committing to the Lakers beyond the current season.

In January, James was among the 41 names listed in USA Basketball's player pool for the Paris Olympics.

James has not played for Team USA since he won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Reuters