LeBron James is well on his way to rewriting every previous definition of basketball longevity, and the 40-year-old star is now racking up numbers that the NBA has never seen before.
James on Tuesday became the first player to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and post-season, surpassing the mark with a three-pointer early in the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-115 win over New Orleans.
James finished with 34 points against the Pelicans after toppling another milestone in his unprecedented career.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“I mean, that’s a lot of points,” James said afterward, rubbing his beard in wonder. “Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is where I’m from. Picking up the game when I was a little kid and having a love for the sport, and hoping that someday I’d be able to play at the highest level. I’ve been able to do that and really enjoy my career. So it’s definitely an honor. It’s pretty cool to see that.”
James already is the top scorer in NBA history in the regular season and the playoffs. Maintaining a spectacular level of play midway through his record-tying 22nd season, he is pulling away from the other greats of the game: The Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons, is a now-distant second with 44,149 combined points.
James got his milestone three-pointer off an assist by Luka Doncic, a trivia tidbit that pleased both superstars. Doncic’s arrival in last month’s seismic trade with the Dallas Mavericks has invigorated James and the Lakers, who look like championship contenders with a seven-game winning streak and 17 victories in their past 20 games.
Photo: AP
“It’s amazing, watching him do this stuff at this age,” said Doncic, who had 30 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds against New Orleans. “It’s just unbelievable, that 50K points. I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K. You never know.”
The Lakers recognized the milestone at the next timeout, with public address announcer Lawrence Tanter saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, we all have just witnessed history.”
James acknowledged the standing ovation with several waves from the bench.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, it was:
‧ Bulls 117, Cavaliers 139
‧ Hawks 121, Bucks 127
‧ Knicks 102, Warriors 114
‧ Magic 113, Raptors 114
‧ Pacers 115, Rockets 102
‧ Spurs 127, Nets 113
‧ Suns 119, Clippers 117
‧ Timberwolves 126, 76ers 112
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