LeBron James made history yet again when he became the first player ever to reach 40,000 points. He did so on Saturday night, when the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Denver Nuggets for the third time this season.
There were just under 11 minutes on the clock in the second quarter when James drove to the basket and hit a left-handed layup on Michael Porter Jr. It was a truly astonishing moment, as James only continues to prove that he is getting better and better with age.
Reactions to LeBron James' 40,000-point milestone.
Congrats @KingJames
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorld37) March 3, 2024
Top of the top https://t.co/366ieBA5Ij
Congratulations to my brother and the 🐐 for the ONLY player ever to reach 40K!!!! Carry the hell on… pic.twitter.com/BLPFyLyulZ
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) March 3, 2024
Anthony Davis on LeBron's early fourth quarter run of 3-pointers:
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 29, 2024
"To witness it from the sideline, it was definitely a fanboy moment."
Congratulations to LeBron James for being the first and only player in NBA history to score 40,000 points! I’m so glad I was here to witness such an incredible feat! @KingJames pic.twitter.com/IdfjsrSLKJ
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 3, 2024
For LeBron, 40,000 is an astonishing longevity achievement. No career-threatening injuries/surgeries. Revolutionary commitment to nutrition/supplements/fitness. Love for hooping remains all-time high. He has now played 15,000 more minutes than Jordan did. Just incredible.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 3, 2024
How many points can LeBron score before it's all said and done?
These are just a select few of the many congratulations posts that James received once he got to the 40,000-point marker. All of which is well deserved, as James continues to impress at 39 years of age. It would have been nice to see the Lakers get the victory to add all the more to the night but the defending champions had other plans in mind. The Nuggets held onto a commanding lead in the second half upon receiving big games from Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr.
The three of them combined for 84 out of the Nuggets 124 points in the game and Porter Jr. was also a perfect 10-10 from the field as well. As for the 4X NBA champion, he finished his evening off totaling 26 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds. Also, just in case you were wondering about what the exact number of career points he is currently at, that number is 40,017 points.
The amount of accolades James has added to his resume throughout the years is unheard of and the NBA will never get another player to even come close to breaking the records he currently has under his belt. However, it makes you truly wonder how many more points the King has left in him before his career is finished. At the rate he is going, it would not be shocking to see him score thousands more.
Interview After the Game
James tries not to focus too much on obtaining career achievements, rather he focuses on winning the game and providing as much as he possibly can for his team.
"I am never thinking about a milestone when I am out there battling," said James. "But when it happens obviously we acknowledge it and obviously much respect and much loyalty to the Laker fan base for showing me that love during the timeout."
It should also be highlighted that every time LeBron breaks a new record, it has always ended in a Lakers loss. Anthony Davis joked about it after the game and said, "LeBron gonna have to stop breaking records because we always lose when he breaks a record."
Regardless of the loss, it was still a magical night that fans will hold onto and remember forever.