5 players with the most FG attempts in NBA history

Modified Aug 24, 2023 05:24 GMT

Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers using his patented fadeaway jumper. — Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers using his patented fadeaway jumper

LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer last season when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who held the record for 38 years. So, does that mean James also owns the record for most field goal attempts in NBA history?

"The King" was on cloud nine when he broke the scoring record on Feb. 7 against the OKC Thunder. He hit a turnaround jumper with around 10 seconds left in the third quarter. He backed up Kenrich Williams for a couple of seconds before fading away and making history.

The game was stopped to celebrate the accomplishment. Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance, and the two legends embraced midcourt. So, let's have a look at the NBA's king of field goal attempts.

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Players who have the most FG attempts in NBA history

Here are the top five:

#5 Michael Jordan

Jordan didn't become the G.O.A.T. by being a passer. He did it with his scoring prowess. He's fifth on the league's all-time scoring list with 32,292 points, as well as fifth on the all-time field goal attempts list with 24, 537.

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#4 Kobe Bryant

Just like his idol, mentor and big brother, Bryant is among the best scorers in NBA history.

Bryant is also fourth in scoring and field goal attempts. However, he has taken 26,200 shots to score 33,643 points. His career shooting percentage of 44.7% is the lowest in the top five.

#3 Karl Malone

The third all-time leading scorer in league history is Karl Malone with 36,928 points.

Malone accomplished it by shooting 51.6% from the field on 26,210 shots. Not to undermine Malone's scoring ability, but he had John Stockton as a teammate for 18 seasons.

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#2 LeBron James

Even though LeBron James is the NBA's scoring king, he doesn't own the record for most field goal attempts.

He sits number two with 28,044 shots, but he's likely breaking the record next season. He's set to play in his 21st season and remains one of the best players in the league.

#1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career ended in 1989, he held plenty of records including the most points, most minutes played and most field goal attempts.

He still holds the record for most minutes played with 57,446 and most field goal attempts with 28,307.