LeBron James has had a rough season by his standards.
In addition to missing the Los Angeles Lakers’ first 14 games of the year due to sciatica, James, who's in the middle of his 23rd season in the big leagues, hasn’t been as dynamic on either end upon returning, leading to several lopsided losses.
The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 20.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game with Los Angeles this season, shooting 50.8% from the field and 31.5% from three.
Still, it’s amazing that James is still producing in his early 40s. James, who finished with 31 points against the Grizzlies on Friday night in a 128-121 victory, impressively made basketball history that’ll probably never be seen again in the NBA.
“LeBron James is the first player in NBA history to have a 30-point game after turning 41 years old,” Real App stated on X/Twitter.
Most players retire from the NBA before reaching age 40. The individuals who have reached that mark didn’t make much of an impact, which isn’t surprising given that superhuman/generational athletes don’t often enter the NBA.
James is in a league of his own, allowing him to accomplish feats that other aging contributors can only dream about. While not impossible, it’s challenging to envision another player recording a 30+point outing at age 41 or older in the foreseeable future.
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