(Los Angeles) LeBron James became the first player to score more than 40,000 points in the NBA on Saturday against Denver, and continues to raise his record to insane heights at 39 years old.
In February 2023, LeBron James climbed a mountain by seizing the points record from legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,390 points). With more than 40,000 points, the “King” of the city of Angels has now soared, and only he knows to what height he will carry this mark.
LeBron James does not want 30,000 (reached in 2018), he does not want 40,000, but always more, he the basketball player of all records, redefining the notion of longevity for his 21e NBA season, as he will celebrate his 40th birthday at the end of the year.
The native of Akron (Ohio) remains unclear about the end of his career: “I haven’t decided how many seasons I have left to play,” he explained again in mid-February, when he can activate an additional contract year with the Lakers this summer.
LeBron James needed only nine points to surpass 40,000 on Saturday during a gala match against defending champion Denver, broadcast on a national channel. During the second quarter, he scored a layup after a spin to reach 40,000 points.
“It’s a perfect testament to all the work he’s done all these years, the way he took care of his body, playing at the highest level. It’s an incredible feat,” praised his coach Darvin Ham on Thursday, anticipating the event.
Seventh in number of matches
Across all his points, James scored 23,119 with Cleveland in two stints and eleven seasons, where he started in 2003, before returning in 2014 to win a title in 2016. He has 7,919 points with the Miami Heat , where he won his first two rings (2012 and 2013), and now more than 8,960 with the Lakers, whom he joined in 2018 for a title won in 2020.
This record is calculated by the NBA only on regular season games. LeBron James, a four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP, also has 8,023 points in the playoffs.
Complete basketball player, he is also 4e in the ranking of the best passers (10,838, behind Chris Paul and his 11,748), 8e to interceptions (2252), 10e in defensive rebounds (9330), being 7the in total matches played (1,475), and the player who attempted the most shots (29,007).
A true boss of his franchise, “LeBron” impresses with his aura, his way of leading his teammates, and above all his ability at 39 to physically dominate much younger players. At each match, the Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) continues to enjoy the game of “King James”.
While he has been unstoppable since his debut in 2003, Denver’s Serbian center Nikola Jokic joked on Saturday at the start of the match by promising to “stop him at 8 points”.
Already a double Olympic champion (2008 and 2012), LeBron James has rallied several big names in the league (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant) to form a new “Dream team” at the Paris Olympic Games this summer (July 26 – August 11).