LOS ANGELES – LeBron James became the first National Basketball Association (NBA) player to reach 40,000 career points in the regular season on March 2, with the 39-year-old superstar scoring nine against the defending champion Denver Nuggets. to reach this milestone.
But James called the historic effort “bittersweet” because it ended in defeat as Nikola Jokic scored 35 points to rally the Nuggets late for a 124-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league because you just know the history, you know the grace that has flowed through the league,” James said.
“But the main thing is always the main thing and that is winning. And I hated that to happen in a loss, especially against a team that is playing extremely well.
“We played good basketball but we couldn’t finish, it’s so bittersweet, but I enjoyed every moment when I was on the court.”
James scored a team-high 26 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets extended their winning streak to six games.
“I’m happy we’re playing well,” Jokic said. “We do the things we want to do. We don’t have too many breakdowns. I just like the way we’re playing the game right now.
James, who just over a year ago passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring record, is a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, as well as the league’s oldest active player, now on his 21st birthday. campaign.
“I’m just happy for him. It was a hell of an accomplishment,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “I wish I could have gotten the win to top it off. But my hats off to him. An incredible, incredible run that continues to this day. ‘today.
James scored his first basket on a quick layup at 6:20 of the first quarter to give the Lakers an 18-12 advantage, then added a three-pointer from the left corner 63 seconds later for an advantage of 23-14.
He made a layup 14 seconds into the second quarter to get within two of the milestone, then missed a free throw and on the next Laker possession he missed a three-pointer.
James scored the historic basket with 10:39 left in the second quarter, relying on a layup from the left side of the basket to give the Lakers a 37-32 lead.
He told ESPN: “I feel like I’m still that threat on the field and I’m still able to do the things I did 10 years ago. And some things I was doing 20 years ago, which is weird to say.
The crowd gave James a standing ovation during a timeout and the ball James used for the hoop was taken out of the game.
“A lot of respect and a lot of loyalty to the Laker fans for showing me that love during the timeout,” James said.
When asked if he thought any other NBA player could hit 40,000, James replied, “I have no idea.”
“You have to play the game for a while and get lucky when it comes to injuries and things of that nature. You must take care of your body. You have to be present on the ground and then you also have to be productive.
The Nuggets tied it at 89-89 early in the fourth quarter and took command with a 9-0 run in the final minutes to lead 117-110, with Denver hitting 15 of 22 from the floor in the final quarter.
“I just want to be better,” James said. “It’s always in the last minutes of the match that they make plays, we don’t make plays that can be frustrating.”
Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. shot 10 of 10 from the floor and scored 25 points, while matching Jokic’s 10 rebounds.
“He was incredible,” Jokic said. “It’s always a good thing to have a guy on your team who can shoot like that.”
