LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most wins in NBA history

With the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, LeBron James officially passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most total wins in NBA history.

Counting both the regular season and the playoffs, James secured his 1,229th career win to break the tie.

TOP NEWS

The Pistons have a complicated decision to make on Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons 3 hours ago

Lakers hire ‘literal rocket scientist’ as new assistant GM

Los Angeles Lakers 5 hours ago

Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson: ‘Analytically, we’ve won two out of three’

Cleveland Cavaliers 6 hours ago

Tuesday’s milestone is the latest of a number of NBA records that James has surpassed Abdul-Jabbar in over the last several years. He surpassed the Lakers legend for the most career points in history several seasons ago and surpassed him for the most career field goals earlier this season.

The victory helped cap off a big day for the Lakers, who secured a spot in the playoffs due to the Phoenix Suns’ loss. Los Angeles currently sits at third place in the Western Conference thanks to an impressive season of collaboration between James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The 41-year-old has largely avoided giving a concrete answer on his plans for the future. But with just a handful of games left to go in the regular season, his focus is likely on preparing for the postseason.

James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker

About the Author Published Apr 1, 2026

JAMES PARKER

James Parker is a sports reporter and writer for Ball Exclusives. With a bachelor's degree earned at the age of 19, he’s spent years working as a sports journalist, including an award-winning stint at The Appalachian. He has never used AI for his work in any way, shape or form.