Time passes for everyone except LeBron James. On the verge of turning 39, the Los Angeles Lakers star once again shone with the team in a win over the Jazz (131-99), finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in 24 minutes , and a new line in the NBA record books.
The one in Akron turned into last night First player in NBA history to reach 39,000 points. After 21 seasons in the best basketball league in the world, James leaves behind Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Michael Jordan (32,292 ) and reignited the debate about the best player in history.
Whether it’s the best or not, what’s clear is that this record just surpassed takes time to reach, because among the players still active, no one can match it. Not even easy-scoring Kevin Durant, who has “only” 27,300 points at age 35.
Despite playing in one of the toughest competitions in the world, veteran LeBron James still had an easy time playing on the American court. This is evidenced by the thousands of records kept by leagues like the United States, where statistics are extremely popular.
“It’s always great to achieve something first”
“My teammates and coaches all congratulated me, but I haven’t had a chance to really understand what it means. Since its inception, this league has produced many great players and many great scorers… I think it’s always great to be able to achieve number one, anything.“James explained after breaking through 39,000 points.
The Lakers and Indiana Pacers are the first two teams to advance to the NBA quarterfinals of the new season.