1 week Ago By Brian T. Smith
Michael Jordan could not do what LeBron James is doing. The 39-year-old King of the NBA is making history night after night, all while keeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoff chase. On Wednesday, James had one of the most historic games of his career and again reminded everyone how unique he is at 39 .
James scored 35 points, dished out 14 assists and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Lakers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-123 in Los Angeles. Those big numbers were even larger when James' age was attached . He recorded his third consecutive triple-double, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to achieve that feat.
Los Angeles coach JJ Redick said that James has mastered the art of basketball. After another night of history -- which included the Lakers' first 6-0 start at home since the 2010-11 season -- an emotional James celebrated with his son, Bronny , and the rest of his family. Wiping off his sweat with a Lakers towel, the NBA's all-time scoring leader walked through a tunnel that features a "17x Champions" sign and found his loved ones waiting.
Kisses and hugs followed for The King, who has pushed the Lakers to three consecutive wins with his historic triple-doubles and a 7-4 record. "I'm just living in the moment," James said. "It feels good to be able to go out and play the game that I love at a high level still.
"Every night I step out on the floor, I try to help our team be successful in any way, shape, form or fashion. So, in that sense it's pretty cool." James is better than Jordan at 39, and doing things that haven't been done in NBA history.
Fans were blown away by the latest round of James' historic run. "LeBron is going to average 15 PPG at age 65," one fan tweeted. "That would still be more than a lot of players in the league.
" "Age is just a number for The King," a second fan posted. "Another triple-double masterpiece!" "Another legendary performance from Bron and the crew!" a third fan wrote. "The James Gang never disappoints!" James is averaging 23.
2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists this season.
For all of his big stats, though, the Lakers still have a lot of work to do in the West. Oklahoma City tops the conference at 10-2, while Golden State has been the surprise team of the league with a 9-2 start. James extended his historic streak on a huge scoring night in the NBA.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama set a career high with 50 points, and joined James in NBA history by reaching that total before turning 21. Giannis Antetokounmpo was even sharper, scoring 59 points for Milwaukee..
