On Sunday, he became the first NBA player in the history of over 10,000. points, rebounds and assists. He had six of the latter in the match against Phoenix Suns, and his entire career has already gathered 10004 of them. “LeTriple-Double” – Internet users write.
Last week, he became the first player in NBA history to score more than 50 points twice after turning 35. On March 6, against the Golden State Warriors, he threw 56, and on March 12, against the Washington Wizards, he scored 50. It was basketball poetry.
Last month, he gave a throw for victory in the match of the stars. In a game, of course, entertaining, but still seemingly casually cast, made from one leg, had its weight. The game was played in “his” Cleveland and LeBron James once again proved to be the best.
And let’s leave aside the poor results of the Los Angeles Lakers, who are on the verge of dropping out of the playoffs with the balance 29-38. Sam “King James” at the age of 37, in his nineteenth season in the NBA, plays basketball exceptional.
The best scorer in history will be next season
We have known for 20 years that it is unique. It was in February 2002 that “Sports Illustrated” presented the famous cover with a photo of James and the caption “The Chosen One”. LeBron was a high school student at the time, he was barely 17, but even then it was clear that the combination of talent and physical condition would take him high. Dynamism, speed, strength, jumping ability, versatility, willingness to pass, the ability to score points, effectiveness – it was known that James had everything to conquer the NBA.
And he conquered what thousands of words have been written and spoken of. Four NBA championships, four MVPs, four MVPs of the final, and dozens of other accolades have long since brought James into the narrow elite of the best players in the league’s history. But he does not come down from a high level and continues to add to the list of amazing achievements.
The top scorer in the history of the NBA will soon be. At the moment he has 36,824 points – second Karl Malone (36,928) will probably overtake in two weeks, first Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) should catch next season. In the ongoing competition, however, he can become the oldest goalscorer – with an average of 29.7 points per game, he is currently the leader of the list of top scorers.
And if James keeps his lead over Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, it will improve the achievement of Michael Jordan, who became the top scorer at the age of 35 in 1997/98. James, let’s recall, has 37 of them. And a lot more mileage in the NBA than Jordan had back then.
Career peak throughout career. In the 19th season – an abyss
LeBron’s longevity is impressive, but of course it’s not the age itself – three dozen forty-year-olds played in the NBA in its history, and only two years ago, 43-year-old Vince Carter was running on the court. Most of them simply passed the last seasons in the league – she supported their colleagues with experience, acted as mentors, impressive flashes were rare for them. In that, James is in a different league.
29.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists in an average of 37 minutes spent on the court – these are LeBron’s current statistics. Impressive compared to his career so far, as James is approaching 40, he maintains an excellent level, also impressive compared to the historical competition, because none of the league’s big stars have performed so well at this age.
Yes, Jordan, 38, had 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Washington Wizards, 37-year-old Abdul-Jabbar had 22.0 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers, and 37-year-old Malone scored 23.3 points for Utah Jazz, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. It is also an outstanding achievement, but first of all: LeBron has better. And second, more importantly, and already mentioned, none of the aforementioned players of this age had as much in their legs as James has.
LeBron has been playing at full capacity for 19 seasons and in each of them he was an absolute front-line figure of his teams, the undisputed leader. He did not lower his level like Abdul-Jabbar, he did not have career interruptions like Jordan. His so-called “prime,” as basketball slang refers to the pinnacle of a career, has been going on since 2003. In the history of the league, only eight players have played more seasons than him, and the score statistic in 19 of them leaves no doubt – LeBron throws 29.7, and Abdul-Jabbar, second on such a list, scored 14.6. Abyss.
“Mind makes it great”
Of course, long-lived James shines in times when it’s easier to stay in shape. The development of medicine, the possibility of regeneration, more comfortable travels, a conscious diet – all this has an impact on extending careers. But the engine in James’s tank withstands subsequent loads in a unique way.
His total versatility is also impressive, and it’s not just about the statistics, where his points never outshone rebounds and assists. LeBron, the perfect winger who can impersonate any role, has literally done it in recent years. In the 2019/20 season, when he led the Lakers to the championship, he played as quarterback. In the current competition, it happens that he is in the middle. But at the same time he moves away from the basket and throws for three more and more effectively.
“He’s probably the smartest basketball player to ever play,” said the respected coach Doc Rivers two years ago. – I think we pay too much attention to his physical abilities and we should appreciate his basketball mind more often. It is he that makes him great. There are a lot of players in the league with LeBron’s body. But there is no one in the league who has such a head.
One can argue with this statement in the sense that James’s body is unique – for 19 years of playing at top speed, he avoided serious injuries that accelerated the process of ending his career, for example with Kobe Bryant. Yes, for several years LeBron has had health problems – the groin, and that of the ankle, and that of the abdominal muscles, and that of the knee. This season, he has made 48 of the Lakers’ 67 games. But when he plays, it’s at the highest level – in six March matches he has an average of 36.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists.
LeBron and Bronny together on the trading floor – possible in 2024
LeBron’s longevity can be written in a variety of ways, including the most amazing stats. One of these concerns the fathers and sons he played against in the NBA. There were six such family duets – Gary Payton and Gary Payton II, Kenyon Martin and Kenyon Martin Jr, Gary Trent and Gary Trent Jr, Rick Brunson and Jalen Brunson, Glenn Robinson and Glenn Robinson III, and Glen Rice and Glen Rice Jr. Seniors ended their careers, juniors grew up and entered the league, and LeBron continued to play at the highest level.
And now the basketball world is waiting for only one historic moment – the moment when LeBron James and LeBron James Jr, known simply as Bronny, will join the NBA court together. The senior makes it clear that playing with his son is his dream – the junior turns 18 this year, is 191 cm tall and plays as a quarterback or thrower at Sierra Canyon High in Los Angeles.
Bronny has a talent, but he is not as much of a phenomenon as LeBron was in his age. There is no doubt that if only for marketing reasons, the NBA would like to have him at home – the more so as James senior would almost certainly sign the contract where his son was. The earliest Bronny could go to the NBA in 2024, which would mean LeBron’s 22nd season in the league, at the age of 40.
And looking at what James is doing on the pitch this season, no one will say it’s impossible.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
