Move over Father Time, you’ve just suffered another loss at the hands of the king.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, currently the oldest player in the NBA, reached a new milestone Saturday night by becoming the first and only playerr in history to score 40,000 career points.
James entered Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, just nine points shy of reaching 40,000 points.
James scored five points in the first half, then recorded back-to-back layups early in the second quarter to reach that milestone.
The 39-year-old surpassed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record last season and continued to score at an elite level in his 21st NBA season.
“Nobody did it,” James told reporters after the team’s overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday. “And for me to be in this position at this stage and at this time in my career, I think it’s pretty cool. But is it one of the best things I’ve done in my career? No. Does that mean anything? Of course. Why not ?
James didn’t decide to break the record early, instead relying on his teammates who recorded five assists in the first half.
However, for the four-time NBA champion, it was only a matter of time before he broke the record.
LeBron and scoring go together like peanut butter and jelly. So nine points was just inevitable. James is currently averaging 25.3 points per game this season.
After eclipsing 40,000 career points, the Lakers broadcast a tribute video to the King on the jumbotron with highlights from his 21-year career. James’ family, including his wife Savannah and daughter Zhuri, were on hand for the historic feat.
James greeted the crowd and his family after the video was shown, then all attention returned to the game.
“Achieving achievements and reaching milestones throughout my career all mean something to me. Absolutely,” James added. “Obviously there is a pecking order where some are higher than others. But I’d be lying to you if I said no, it doesn’t mean anything. This is absolutely the case.
The Lakers entered Saturday’s contest as two-point underdogs against the defending champion Nuggets.
Denver currently finds itself in third place in the Western Conference and just one game out of first place overall.
Meanwhile, the Lakers sit in 10th place in the West and are fighting for their playoff lives.
“We just want to get better,” James said Thursday night.
The Lakers are in last place in the NBA Play-In tournament, but are just three games behind the 5th seed in the Western Conference.
This likely won’t be LeBron’s last milestone or record before he finally decides to retire, but just the next achievement in a long line of accolades for the king.
And after? LeBron hopes it will be another championship, but this time with a parade down Chick Hearn Blvd.
