James reached the milestone with a pass to guard VJ Edgecombe for a layup, his 11th assist of the game, lifting his career total to 12,092 and moving him ahead of Kidd into sole possession of third place.

James finished the contest with 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, the 11 assists marking a season high for the 41-year-old forward in his 24th NBA campaign.

Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 31 points, while Tyrese Maxey added 27 points on five-of-ten shooting from three-point range as the 76ers improved to 11-3 on the season.

Pascal Siakam paced the Pacers with 31 points and Kelly Oubre contributed 16 points, but Indiana fell to 5-9 and saw a two-game winning streak snapped.

The teams entered the locker room tied at halftime before the 76ers pulled away in the second half to secure the seven-point margin.

James returned to the lineup after missing the previous game to rest his back, while centre Joel Embiid sat out as part of a load-management plan.

The milestone assist moves James past Kidd and leaves him trailing only retired guard Chris Paul and all-time leader John Stockton on the career assists chart.

Stockton holds the NBA record with 15,806 assists, while Paul finished his career with 12,552; James sits 460 assists behind Paul, a gap he could close this season if he remains healthy and available.

James recorded 432 assists last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, suggesting Paul's mark is within reach, though Stockton's record remains more than 3,700 assists distant.

James has thrived as a passer against Indiana this season, posting his top two assists totals of the campaign against the Pacers, including 10 assists on 28 October.

Among active players, James Harden is the next closest on the assists list at 12th with 8,948, followed by Jrue Holiday at 25th with 6,810, underscoring James's lead as the active assists leader.

Already the NBA's all-time leader in points, field goals, games played and minutes, James's climb up the assists ladder further cements his historical standing.

For the season, James is averaging 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.

The Philadelphia 76ers continue their schedule on Monday with an away fixture against the Brooklyn Nets.