LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history – this is a well-known fact. His 20th season has been one to remember and most of that has to do with him surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points all-time, which he accomplished on February 7 when he scored his 38,388th career point.
Two weeks prior to that moment, James did something else that has never been done before when he officially scored 40 points against every single NBA team. He entered the 2022-23 season with 28/30 teams checked off that list – the only two remaining were the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets.
On January 16, James crossed the Rockets off that list with a 48-point outing that was two rebounds and one assist away from a triple-double. One week later, on January 24, James crossed the Clippers off that list with a 46-point outing that was three assists and two rebounds away from being a triple-double.
LeBron James’ Most Impressive 40-Point Performance vs. Each NBA Team
LeBron James is no stranger to scoring 40 points, but he has now done it against every single team in the NBA. That’s not just a testament to how great he is, but also how long he’s been in the league. While some players struggle to score 40 points once, he has done it 74 times in his career – as of March 12.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the team that has seen LeBron score at least 40 points the most – he has done it six times in 61 career games against the Bucks. The Miami Heat are second on that list, having seen him drop at least 40 points on five occasions. Only seven teams have held him to one 40-point outing.
And that’s just in the regular season. He has another 28 games with at least 40 points in the playoffs and has done it against 11 different teams, but we’ll get into that a little later. For now, let’s take a look at his regular season achievement by breaking down his most impressive 40-point outing against each team.
30. Philadelphia 76ers – April 6, 2018 (44 points)
On April 6, 2018, LeBron James (33 years old) scored 44 points and had 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a 130-132 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers – he was playing for the Cavaliers at the time. He shot 17 of 29 from the floor, 4 of 8 from long range, and 6 of 11 from the charity stripe.
He also had a 41-point outing against the 76ers on April 3, 2012 at 27 years old.
29. Milwaukee Bucks – December 10, 2005 (52 points)
On December 10, 2005, LeBron James (20 years old) scored 52 points and had 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in a 106-111 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks – he was playing for the Cavaliers at the time. He shot 19 of 29 from the floor, 5 of 9 from the three-point line, and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe.
He has scored more than 40 points in five other contests against the Bucks, including a 55-point outing on February 20, 2009.
28. Chicago Bulls – November 5, 2008 (41 points)
On November 5, 2008, LeBron James (23 years old) scored 41 points and had 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in a 107-98 win against the Chicago Bulls – he was playing for the Cavaliers at the time. He shot 13 of 23 from the field, 0 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 15 of 16 from the charity stripe.
Three days after this game, on November 8, 2008, LeBron did it again with 41 points and 13 rebounds in a 106-97 win over the Bulls.
27. Cleveland Cavaliers – January 25, 2021 (46 points)
On January 25, 2021, LeBron James (36 years old) scored 46 points and had 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in a 115-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers – he was a member of the Lakers at the time. He shot 19 of 26 from the field, 7 of 11 from long range, and 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.
He also had a 43-point outing against the Cavaliers as a member of the Miami Heat on March 18, 2014 – adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks in the 100-96 win.
26. Boston Celtics – February 15, 2006 (43 points)
On February 15, 2006, LeBron James (21 years old) scored 43 points and had 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks in a 113-109 double-overtime win against the Boston Celtics as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 32 from the floor, 0 of 5 from the three-point line, and 11 of 15 from the charity stripe.
James amassed 40 points in three other contests against the Celtics – scoring 42 points in 2010, 41 points in 2014, and 41 points in 2023.
25. Los Angeles Clippers – January 24, 2023 (46 points)
On January 24, 2023, LeBron James (38 years old) scored 46 points and had 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a 115-133 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 16 of 29 from the field, 9 of 14 from long range, and 5 of 5 from the charity stripe.
This was James’ only 40-point outing against the Clippers, but he came extremely close on November 17, 2017 as a member of the Cavaliers – scoring 39 points in an overtime win.
24. Memphis Grizzlies – January 15, 2008 (51 points)
On January 15, 2008, LeBron James (23 years old) scored 51 points and had 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in a 132-124 overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 18 of 28 from the field, 6 of 12 from long range, and 9 of 16 from the charity stripe.
James had one other 40-point outing against the Grizzlies on December 8, 2019 when he put up 43 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block in a 111-109 overtime win.
23. Atlanta Hawks – December 30, 2009 (48 points)
On December 30, 2009, LeBron James (his 25th birthday) scored 48 points and had 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in a 106-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 15 of 23 from the floor, 4 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 14 of 16 from the charity stripe.
James has amassed 40 points on three other occasions against the Hawks – scoring 47 points on his 38th birthday in 2022, 43 points in 2011, and 40 points in 2004.
22. Miami Heat – April 1, 2006 (47 points)
On April 1, 2006, LeBron James (21 years old) scored 47 points and had 12 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals in a 106-99 win over the Miami Heat as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 25 from the field, 2 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 13 of 14 from the free throw line.
James amassed the 40-point mark on four other occasions against the Heat, including a 51-point outing in 2018, a 47-point outing in 2006, a 42-point outing in 2009, and a 41-point outing in 2005.
21. Charlotte Bobcats – March 3, 2014 (61 points)
On March 3, 2014, LeBron James (29 years old) scored a career-high 61 points and had 7 rebounds and 4 assists in a 124-107 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats as a member of the Miami Heat. He shot 22 of 33 from the field, 8 of 10 from beyond the three-point line, and 9 of 12 from the charity stripe.
James scored at least 40 points against the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats on three other occasions – including a 44-point outing in 2016, a 43-point outing in 2023, and a 41-point outing in 2018.
20. Utah Jazz – January 21, 2006 (51 points)
On January 21, 2006, LeBron James (21 years old) scored 51 points and had 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals in a 108-90 victory over the Utah Jazz as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 19 of 35 from the field, 4 of 8 from beyond the three-point line, and 9 of 11 from the charity stripe in 43 minutes played.
James’ only other 40-point outing against the Jazz came on November 16, 2007 at 22 years old when he put up 40 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 blocks in a 99-94 win.
19. Sacramento Kings – February 26, 2013 (40 points)
On February 26, 2013, LeBron James (28 years old) scored 40 points and had 8 rebounds, 16 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a 141-129 double-overtime win over the Sacramento Kings as a member of the Miami Heat. He shot 14 of 23 from the field, 1 of 2 from beyond the arc, and 11 of 12 from the charity stripe.
James also had an impressive 51 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks against the Kings on March 13, 2004 in a 126-123 overtime win at 24 years old.
18. New York Knicks – March 5, 2008 (50 points)
On March 5, 2008, LeBron James (23 years old) scored 50 points and had 8 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals in a 119-105 victory over the New York Knicks as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 30 from the field, 7 of 13 from beyond the three-point line, and 11 of 16 from the charity stripe.
James has amassed 40 points against the Knicks on three other occasions, including a 52-point outing (near triple-double) in 2009, a 47-point outing 2010, and a 45-point outing in 2007.
17. Los Angeles Lakers – January 27, 2008 (41 points)
On January 27, 2008, LeBron James (23 years old) scored 41 points and had 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in a 98-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 32 from the field, 1 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 8 of 12 from the charity stripe.
While this was James’ only time amassing 40 points against his current team, he has come close on several occasions – including a 39-point outing in 2013 and a 38-point outing in 2007.
16. Orlando Magic – February 3, 2011 (51 points)
On February 3, 2011, LeBron James (26 years old) scored 51 points and had 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in a 104-100 victory over the Orlando Magic as a member of the Miami Heat. He shot 17 of 25 from the floor, 3 of 5 from beyond the three-point line, and 14 of 17 from the charity stripe.
James amassed 40 points against the Magic on one other occasion – putting up 43 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block in a 97-93 win as a member of the Cavaliers.
15. Dallas Mavericks – February 18, 2014 (42 points)
On February 18, 2014, LeBron James (29 years old) scored 42 points and had 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in a 117-106 victory over the Dallas Mavericks as a member of the Miami Heat. He shot 16 of 23 from the floor, 4 of 8 from beyond the three-point line, and 6 of 8 from the charity stripe.
The only other 40-point outing James had against the Mavericks came on March 29, 2006 when he put up 46 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a 107-94 victory with the Cavaliers.
14. New Jersey Nets – March 27, 2004 (41 points)
On March 27, 2004, LeBron James (19 years old) scored 41 points and had 6 rebounds, 13 assists, and 3 steals in a 107-104 victory over the New Jersey Nets as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot 15 of 23 from the floor, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and a perfect 10 of 10 from the charity stripe.
James had one other 40-point outing against the Nets on March 12, 2008 – he put up 42 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in a 99-104 loss at 23 years old.
13. Denver Nuggets – February 18, 2010 (43 points)
On February 18, 2010, LeBron James (25 years old) scored 43 points and had 13 rebounds, 15 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks in a 118-116 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 15 of 33 from the field, 1 of 9 from beyond the three-point line, and 12 of 17 from the charity stripe.
While this was James’ only 40-point outing against the Nuggets, he did come close on March 7, 2018 with 39 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists, and 1 steal in a 113-108 victory.
12. Indiana Pacers – April 2, 2017 (41 points)
On April 2, 2017, LeBron James (32 years old) scored 41 points and had 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in a 135-130 double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 29 from the floor, 3 of 10 from long range, and 6 of 12 from the charity stripe.
This wasn’t James’ only 40-point outing against the Pacers. He also had a 47-point outing in 2009 with the Cavs, a 41-point outing in 2011 with the Heat, and a 40-point outing 2009 with the Cavs.
11. New Orleans Pelicans – February 25, 2020 (40 points)
On February 25, 2020, LeBron James (35 years old) scored 40 points and had 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block in a 118-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 17 of 27 from the floor, 5 of 11 from the three-point line, and 1 of 2 from the charity stripe.
James also had an impressive 44 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals against the Pelicans in 2005, as well as 41 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block against the Pelicans in 2014.
10. Detroit Pistons – March 5, 2010 (40 points)
On March 5, 2010, LeBron James (25 years old) scored 40 points and had 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a 99-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 27 from the floor, 3 of 7 from behind the three-point line, and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe.
James surpassed the 40-point mark against the Pistons on two other occasions – including 43 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in 2004 and 41 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in 2007.
9. Toronto Raptors – March 20, 2005 (56 points)
On March 20, 2005, LeBron James (20 years old) scored 56 points and had 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals in a 98-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot 18 of 36 from the field, 6 of 12 from beyond the three-point line, and 14 of 15 from the charity stripe in 48 minutes.
While this was James’ only 40-point outing against the Raptors, he did come close on January 6, 2008 with 39 points and again on January 2, 2011 with a 38-point game.
8. Houston Rockets – January 16, 2023 (48 points)
On January 16, 2023, LeBron James (38 years old) scored 48 points and had 8 rebounds and 9 assists in a 140-132 victory over the Houston Rockets as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 16 of 26 from the field, 5 of 10 from beyond the three-point line, and 11 of 12 from the charity stripe in 36 minutes.
This was the only time James amassed 40 points against the Rockets and was the 29th (of 30) NBA team he scored 40 points against. He came close on November 12, 2012 with 38 points.
7. San Antonio Spurs – February 13, 2006 (44 points)
On February 13, 2006, LeBron James (21 years old) scored 44 points and had 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in a 101-87 victory over the San Antonio Spurs as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot 19 of 33 from the field, 1 of 3 from beyond the three-point line, and 5 of 8 from the charity stripe.
James amassed 40 points against the Spurs on one other occasion – doing so on December 5, 2018 with 42 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals as a member of the Lakers.
6. Phoenix Suns – January 14, 2006 (46 points)
On January 14, 2006, LeBron James (21 years old) scored 46 points and had 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal in a 106-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot 18 of 28 from the field, 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point line, and a perfect 5 of 5 from the charity stripe.
Two weeks after this game, LeBron had his second 40-point outing against the Suns with 44 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in a 113-106 victory on January 29, 2006.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – December 13, 2009 (44 points)
On December 13, 2009, LeBron James (24 years old) scored 44 points and had 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block in a 102-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 16 of 29 from the field, 5 of 8 from beyond the three-point line, and 7 of 10 from the charity stripe.
This was the only time James amassed 40 points against the Thunder, but he came close on February 14, 2013 with 38 points in a 110-100 victory and had 38 points on February 7, 2023.
4. Minnesota Timberwolves – November 21, 2007 (45 points)
On November 21, 2007, LeBron James (22 years old) scored 45 points and had 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a 97-86 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 17 of 26 from the field, 6 of 10 from beyond the three-point line, and 5 of 8 from the charity stripe.
While this was the only time James scored 40+ points against the Timberwolves, he did come close with 38 points in an 85-89 loss on November 26, 2005 at just 20 years old.
3. Portland Trail Blazers – November 14, 2018 (44 points)
On November 14, 2018, LeBron James (33 years old) scored 44 points and had 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in a 126-117 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers as a member of the Lakers. He shot 13 of 19 from the field, 5 of 6 from beyond the three-point line, and 13 of 15 from the charity stripe.
James surpassed 40 points against the Trail Blazers on three other occasions – including 44 points in 2011, 43 points in 2021, and 41 points in 2010.
2. Golden State Warriors – March 5, 2022 (56 points)
On March 5, 2022, LeBron James (37 years old) scored 56 points and had 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in a 124-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He shot 19 of 31 from the field, 6 of 11 from beyond the three-point line, and 12 of 13 from the charity stripe.
The only other time LeBron James scored 40+ points against the Warriors was on February 26, 2015 when he scored 42 points and had 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in a 110-99 victory.
1. Washington Wizards – November 3, 2017 (57 points)
On November 3, 2017, LeBron James (32 years old) scored 57 points and had 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a 130-122 victory over the Washington Wizards as a member of the Cavaliers. He shot 23 of 34 from the field, 2 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and a perfect 9 of 9 from the charity stripe.
James also had 50 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block against the Wizards in a 122-109 victory over the Wizards on March 11, 2022 and scored 38 points on three separate occasions.
LeBron James Has Scored 40+ Points Against 11 Teams in the Playoffs
Like we mentioned above, LeBron James has scored at least 40 points in 28 playoff games and has done it against 11 different teams. The Warriors, as you can imagine, are on that list seven times and they have all come in the NBA Finals. The Pacers and Celtics have each allowed 40+ points to LeBron five times.
Of those 28 playoff games with at least 40 points, only five of them have gone into overtime. He’s 18-10 when scoring at least 40 points in the playoffs and three of those losses came in overtime. He also has 13 40-point double-doubles and three 40-point triple-doubles in the playoffs – which is insane to think about.
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His career-high in the playoffs is 51 points, which he scored against the Warriors on May 31, 2018. He scored 49 points on two occasions (vs. the Magic and Nets), had a 48-point outing against the Pistons, a 47-point outing against the Hawks, and a pair of 46-point outings against the Celtics and Pacers.
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