Los Angeles, January 4 (VOICE) – On a historic night for basketball, LeBron James, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, eclipsed Michael Jordan’s long-standing record for most games at 30 points in NBA regular season history. The milestone was achieved in the Los Angeles Lakers’ triumphant victory over the Atlanta Hawks 119-102 on Saturday (IST). With an impressive performance, LeBron scored 30 points, reaching the 30-point threshold for the 563rd time in his career, surpassing Jordan’s record set in 2003.
Jordan had set his 30-point game record in 1,072 games accumulated over 15 seasons, while LeBron managed to beat this remarkable feat in his 1,523rd game, following a breathtaking 22-year career.
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The defining moment of the night came at 5:58 of the clock, when LeBron drilled an 18-footer, further etching his name into the annals of NBA history. In addition to this milestone, he also solidified his legacy by surpassing Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki, becoming the player with the fourth most appearances in NBA history, with a total of 1,522 games played. .
Starting his journey in the league at 18, fresh out of high school in 2002, LeBron joined his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Entering the NBA as one of the most celebrated rookies in history, he maintained an extraordinary level of performance for more than two decades – a remarkable feat unparalleled in any sporting discipline.
Reflecting on his illustrious career on his milestone birthday, LeBron expressed confidence in his ability to continue competing at a high level for five to seven more years if he wanted to. “Waking up and realizing, ‘Oh gee, you’re 40?’ seems surreal. It’s fun to think about where I am now, playing at such a high level and being considered young compared to the years I’ve dedicated to this profession,” LeBron said. “If I really wanted to, I could probably continue playing at a high level for another five to seven years. However, that’s not my plan. I would definitely miss basketball a lot, but I wouldn’t leave to come back anymore late.”
