LeBron James continued to defy father time by inspiring the Los Angeles Lakers to victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Lakers began their NBA Cup defense with a 120-115 triumph.
James is in his 22nd year in the league and still racking up milestones.
He had 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Spurs – his fourth consecutive triple-double.
That saw him equal the franchise record set by Magic Johnson in 1987, and matched by Russell Westbrook in 2021.
“To still have the energy to do that and the effort – it takes a lot,” he said.
“But also, it takes great teammates along the way, too. Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target and then defensively, rebound and try to help on the glass with [Anthony Davis] and the rest of the guys. And sprinkle in a little points from time to time.
“But waiting 22 years to do something is wild.”
It is the first time the basketball icon has ever achieved the feat.
He will attempt to break the mark as the 8-4 Lakers take on the 4-9 New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
James insisted he was not at his best despite his statistical dominance.
“The best thing about my game is I can have [no] rhythm offensively and still have an impact on the game,” the 39-year-old said.
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“I was able to do that tonight.”
The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023.
Their next outing in the competition is against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
While James made history, it was Anthony Davis who stole the show in a much-hyped clash against Victor Wembanyama.
The center had 40 points with 12 rebounds, while Wembanyama had 28 points and 14 rebounds.
“I think when Bron’s in that mindset of dominating the game in that way, it just empowers everybody else to step up, make shots,” said Lakers guard Austin Reaves.
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“And obviously, AD is going to do what AD does. He’s done it every night so far this year.”
LeBron has 117 career triple-doubles – fifth on the all-time list.
Nikola Jokic (136), Johnson (138), Oscar Robertson (181), and Westbrook (199) are ahead of him.
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