Even at age 38 and in his 21st season, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James shows no signs of slowing down.
He started the season with a high shooting percentage — 57.0% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range, to be exact — and despite playing less time, he’s still averaging 24.6 points and 8.6 3-pointers. Rebounds and 6.1 assists bit by bit.
On Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, he had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double of the season. It was his 108th career triple-double, which moved him past Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd into fifth place on the list of most career triple-doubles in NBA history.
Additionally, he became the second-oldest player ever to record a triple-double. The oldest is Karl Malone, and interestingly, he did this as a member of the Lakers in the 2003-04 season.
It was a historic night for LeBron 👑
– 28 points, 10 points, 11 AST
– Moved to No. 8 all-time at 3 p.m.
-Historic triple-even number rises to fifth place
– Became the second oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double pic.twitter.com/rALlGvwNnh—NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2023
At that time, Kidd was considered a typical point guard and floor general. He not only made the game easier for his teammates, but he was also an excellent leader.
James said he hopes to emulate Kidd’s ability to make teammates better and be a good communicator, while admitting he will never be as patient as Kidd.
LeBron James surpassed Jason Kidd for fifth place on the all-time triple-double list on Wednesday with his 108th career triple-double. He said he emulated two qualities of his former Olympic teammate, but one of Kidd’s qualities that he couldn’t replicate: pic.twitter.com/KDBxnwi7Vl
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 16, 2023
Kidd served as an assistant coach when the Lakers won the NBA championship in the 2019-20 season. But he was also James’ teammate at the 2008 Olympics, winning the gold medal for Team USA. He was also a key member of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks team that defeated James’ Miami Heat in the NBA Finals that season.