LeBron James reached 40,000 points on Saturday night, continuing his strong streak in his 21st NBA season and looking to push his career scoring record out of reach.
James scored a historic basket with 10:39 left in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets, passing Michael Porter Jr. for a layup.
At the next timeout, James received a standing ovation and coach Darvin Ham patted his chest in celebration. There was a video presentation inside the arena, which featured James raising the ball over his head before and after.
LeBron James scores a bucket and becomes the first player in league history to score 40,000 career points 👑
Denral ABC live broadcast pic.twitter.com/I84Xd5hiWf
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2024
\n\n”}}” config=”{“renderingTarget”:”Web”,”darkModeAvailable”:false}”/>
James hit an airball on his first attempt of the night, but got out in transition and made a layup for the first points, prompting the Nuggets to take their first timeout. He then made a corner 3-pointer and came off the bench with 3:19 left in the first quarter.
James checked in again to start the second quarter and attacked the basket 14 seconds into the period, setting the stage for a historic basket.
James became the league’s leading scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark of 38,387 points on February 7, 2023, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He reached the 39,000 point mark on November 21st in the in-season tournament against the Utah Jazz.
As Abdul-Jabbar was nearing the end of his career, Ham was a young fan who thought James’ record would never be challenged, let alone surpassed.
“But we’re here,” Ham said before the game. “This is a testament to Bron taking the time and resources to make sure he is not only healthy, but at a high level of health.”
James, 39, also has the second-most regular season and playoff minutes played in league history. He is the only NBA player to record at least 10,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone spent five seasons with James as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2010 and is in awe of how he is still able to play at such a high level. ing.
“I’m not obsessed with the numbers themselves, but I’m just amazed at the continued greatness,” Malone said.
“He’s just doing what he’s doing at this stage in his career and it doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down at all, which is what makes it even scarier. In fact, when you step back and see his longevity, It’s amazing. But he’s not playing with this. He’s playing effectively.”
