Lakers' LeBron James makes surreal NBA history vs. Cavaliers
12/31/2024 11:13 PM
After missing a game due to illness, LeBron James is back in action for the Los Angeles Lakers for Tuesday night’s home game against his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. More notably, it is his first game since turning 40 years old on Monday, which means another historic milestone for the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player.
As noted before the game by SportsCenter, James became the first player in the history of the NBA to see action in a game both as a teenager and as a 40-year-old player. Additionally, James is the 32nd player in league history to see action in the NBA at the age of 40.
Tonight, LeBron will be the first player in NBA history to play a game as both a teenager and a 40-year-old pic.twitter.com/kcKk18xdHq
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 31, 2024
LeBron James made his NBA debut way back in 2003 when he was also selected No. 1 overall in that year’s NBA draft. In his first game in the NBA, the then-18-year-old James scored 25 points on a 12-for-20 shooting from the field, dished out nine assists, grabbed six rebounds and recorded a total of four steals in over 42 minutes of action, albeit in a 106-92 loss on the road at the hands of the Sacramento Kings.
Over two decades later, James is still going strong.
James is truly a rare basketball specimen. Apart from the fact that he’s managed to last this long in an ultra-competitive basketball league, he is also doing so as still an above-average player. Most NBA players are gone in the league by their mid and late 30s, but James continues to play a huge role for the Lakers, who have serious championship aspirations in the 2024-25 NBA season.
As James continues to age in the NBA, he is bound to hit more milestones. He is already the all-time leader in points scored, most consecutive double-digit scoring games, most 10-point games and oldest player to record at least 40,000 points, 11,000 rebounds and 11,000 assists, to name a few of his incredible accomplishments.
James entered the Cavaliers game averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from behind the arc.
After the Cavs game, LeBron James an the Lakers will tale on the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Thursday.
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