In a historic feat on Tuesday, LeBron James added another milestone to his illustrious NBA career, becoming the first player to surpass the 39,000-point mark. This achievement occurred as the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Utah Jazz, securing their spot in the knockout stage of the league’s new in-season tournament.
Entering the game needing just five points to reach the milestone, the 38-year-old etched his name into the record books with a three-pointer in the first quarter of the Lakers’ convincing 131-99 victory. Having already surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last season to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, James acknowledged the crowd’s cheers as his latest accomplishment was announced.
Reflecting on his latest scoring milestone, James stated, “I haven’t really had an opportunity to wrap my head around what it means. There have been so many great players in this league since the beginning of time, and so many great scorers. To be able to be the first of anything is always pretty cool. A wild moment, for sure.”
James’ historic moment set a celebratory tone at the Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers secured a wire-to-wire win, advancing to the quarter-finals of the in-season tournament. James contributed 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Anthony Davis led the Lakers’ scoring with an impressive 26 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists.
In another noteworthy performance, Kevin Durant achieved a scoring milestone of his own, ascending to the 11th spot on the NBA’s career scoring list during Phoenix’s 120-107 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Needing 14 points to surpass Elvin Hayes, Durant accomplished the feat in a prolific first quarter, finishing the game with 31 points and raising his career tally to 27,331 points.