It was only a year ago on Febuary 2nd when the then 38-year-old overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, with 38,387 points. He’s been the youngest player to reach every career point milestone in NBA history on his way to Kareem’s record, but his 40,000-point milestone is on a whole other level, as it’s one that no player has ever got close to.
The moment was met with a standing ovation from the crowd
He hit the mark early into the second quarter of their game against the Nuggets, gliding past Michael Porter Jr. with a spin to hit a layup that secured him this monumental record. The moment was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, and LeBron was subbed out only a minute later, giving him a chance to relish in his record.
Despite James’ 40,000-point shot extending the Laker’s lead, his team ended up losing to the Nuggets by 114-124. He acknowledged that it was a shame this milestone had to come during a loss in a game they “weren’t able to close out”, as the Nuggets took control during the final quarter and dominated those last few minutes.
LeBron stated that he’s “never thinking about a milestone” during a game and that the main thing to him is always to win, but he nonetheless thanked the Lakers’ fanbase for all the respect and love they showed him in that moment.
James is on his 21st year in the NBA now and doesn’t seem like slowing down any time soon, still standing as the Lakers main man in both points and assists this season, with a 25.3 PPG and an 8.0 APG.
It’s hard to tell what the limit is for James, with some fans claiming there’s a chance he could reach the 50,000-point milestone if he can keep hitting the same numbers for the next few years. The longevity of LeBron is something the league has never seen before, and if there’s any player out there who would dare to attempt such an achievement, it’s him.
My king…