LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers made history as the sole NBA player to exceed 40,000 career points, achieving this milestone with a direct layup against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto Arena on a memorable Saturday night.
LeBron James, 39, in his 21st season, James holds the title of the league’s all-time leading scorer, a record he claimed last year by overtaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar despite a game loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In this landmark game, he skillfully manoeuvred past Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. to score a layup, marking the moment 10:39 minutes into the second quarter.
Following the score, Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham initiated a timeout, leading to a standing ovation for James. A video tribute played on the jumbotron as James saluted the enthusiastic crowd by lifting the ball overhead.
Despite James’s significant personal success, the night ended less positively as the Lakers fell to the Nuggets, experiencing a double-digit deficit for the first time in the match during the critical moments.
Dubbed ‘The Only One,’ James concluded the game with a team-leading 26 points, adding 17 more to his historic 40,000-point total, a record that stands as potentially unbreakable.
James uniquely holds over 40,000 points in NBA history and boasts the second-highest regular-season and the highest playoff minutes ever played.
Moreover, he is the sole player to accumulate at least 10,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists, marking him as an unparalleled figure in the history of the NBA.
