LeBron James is just nine points away from becoming the first NBA player to reach 40,000. It is obviously reasonable to think that he will get it this evening, Saturday, March 2, 2024 when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets (2:30 am Sunday ET). James has scored at least nine points in each of the last 762 games that count, including the playoffs, and has been held under nine points a total of nine times in 21 seasons. In other words, 40,000 is coming. And given that 50,000 points probably won’t come – although with 39-year-old James you never know – this will be another moment definitely worth savoring.
His words to the nba.com website: “Nobody did it. I think for me, to be in this position at this point in my career, it’s really cool. But is it one of the best things I’ve done in my career? No. Does it mean anything? Obviously. Why wouldn’t he?” He will average about 25 points this season. There hasn’t been an “older player” in the NBA to average 10 points since John Stockton scored 10.8 per game in 2002-03 James will likely finish with the highest scoring average of any older player ever; Abdul-Jabbar was the league’s oldest player when he averaged 23.4 points in 1985-86.
While James’ latest achievement won’t have the same stature as becoming the scoring king — he passed Abdul-Jabbar for No. 1 all-time just over a year ago — it will still be a special moment. “Attempting feats and reaching major milestones throughout my career all mean something to me. Absolutely. Obviously, there is a pecking order where some are more important than others. But I’d be lying to you if I said no, it doesn’t mean anything.”
2024-03-03 00:34:18
#Lakers #Nuggets #LeBron #James #night
