In Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to achieve 40,000 career points in the regular season.However, following his Los Angeles Lakers team’s 124-114 loss against the reigning NBA champions, he called it “bittersweet”.
“Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league,” said the 39-year-old, who scored 26 points on the night.
“You just know the history, you know the greats that have come through.”
With 10 minutes and 39 seconds left in the second quarter, James made the game-winning basket with a driving lay-up from the left side of the hoop to give the Lakers a 37-32 lead.During a timeout, James received a standing ovation from the crowd, and the ball he used to reach the milestone was taken out of the game.James, though, felt conflicted because Nikola Jokic’s 35 points helped the Nuggets extend their winning streak to six games.
In February 2023, James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s long-standing record of 38,387 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.Entering his 21st season, the four-time NBA champion and four-time Most Valuable Player is the oldest current player in the league.James stated that he was unsure if any other NBA player will be able to get 40,000 points.
