The Barclays Center crowd was ecstatic tonight as the Lakers dominated the Brooklyn Nets 116-104. But the real story wasn’t the dub over the Nets, it was about defying Father Time himself. LeBron James, the 39-year-old, rewrote the NBA record books yet again. Tonight, he surpassed Michael Jordan for most 30-point games in league history. Looks like LeBron will rewrite the very definition of longevity in the NBA.
The Lakers came out blazing against the Nets, dropping a quick 15-0 bomb to start the game. By the time the Nets finally got on the scoreboard with about 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter, the Lakers were already leading 17-2. Anthony Davis then went on a personal tear, scoring seven straight points to push the lead to a whopping 24-4. He ended up with a double-double with 24 points, and 12 rebounds.
D’Angelo Russell, who just crossed the 10,000-point mark for his career came in hot with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Rui Hachimura too bagged a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. But the night belonged to King James. The final quarter was a nail-biter, with LeBron turning into a scoring machine. He tied his career-high with 9 three-pointers, two of them coming in a clutch stretch that put him at 40 points. LeBron was on fire all night, missing only four shots, with just one of them being a three-pointer. He ended up with a staggering 40 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a classic LeBron performance, a reminder that even at his age, he can still take over a game when it matters most.
The King Of The Court: LeBron James vs Michael Jordan Career Comparison
LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Two names synonymous with basketball greatness, separated by eras but forever tied to the “greatest of all time” (GOAT) conversation. In terms of longevity, the “L” Train has already surpassed Jordan a while back as James is in his 21st season while MJ played 15 seasons in the NBA.
Michael Jordan, drafted in 1984, hopped onto the scene as a scoring machine. He bagged a staggering 6 NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls in two separate three-peats (1991-1993, 1996-1998). The man never lost a Finals series! Jordan holds a career scoring average of 30.1 points per game (PPG), the highest in NBA history (barring those who played fewer than 2,000 games). He racked up 5 MVP awards, an insane 10 scoring titles, and 6 Finals MVPs.
On the side of the court, we got LeBron James, drafted in 2003, entered the league as “the chosen one.” His size, speed, and basketball IQ made him a force on both ends of the court. While his heater of an average (27.2 PPG) falls short of Jordan’s, James averages nearly 8 assists per game compared to Jordan’s 5.3.
James’ 10 NBA Finals appearances ended up with 4 championship wins across 3 different teams (Miami Heat 2012, 2013, Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 and Los Angeles Lakers 2020). James has piled up 4 MVP awards, 4 Finals MVPs, and a whopping 19 All-Star selections!
So, who’s the GOAT? That’s one debate that may never be resolved but there’s no denying that their impact on the game and the culture goes far, far beyond stats.