Now 40, Los Angeles Laker LeBron James is showing no signs of slowing down in his 22nd season as a member of the National Basketball Association.
In a game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 3; James set a new record for the most 30 point games in a career with 653!. James beat out basketball legend Michael Jordan to earn the record. Just un six minutes remained in the game when James set the new record.
The Lakers went on to win the game 119 – 102.
During his 15 seasons as a professional basketball player, Michael Jordan set the mark of 652 30-point games in 1,072 total games.
James is currently in his 22nd season – 1,523 games to date.
Speaking on breaking the record, James said, “it’s very humbling. Anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super-cool. It’s someone I idolized in my childhood, and I wear 23 because of him. So to know that I can sit here and be in the room or in the conversation or whatever it is, you mention MJ, it’s like super-duper dope for me, being a kid where I’m from.”
James is in rare company of current players who ever got to see Jordan play live during his hey day with the Chicago Bulls.
Back in 2019, James surpassed Jordan in another record when he took fourth place in career scoring.
James set another record in Friday night’s game when he passed Dirk Nowitzki, who had 1,522, to take fourth place for the most games played during the regular season. James holds the record for most postseason games played in NBA history with 287.
James was tied with Jordan for just one day when he tied the record after scoring 38 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 2.
That Portland game put James in third place for scoring the most points in a single game by a 40 year old – two games behind idol Michael Jordan.
James is one of three players in NBA history to score at least 30 points in a single game after turning 40 – Michael Jordan with four, LeBron James with two, and Dirk Nowitzki with one.
Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke on James saying, “it’s just another thing that he’s done in his career, and certainly speaks to his greatness and longevity. That stretch where he hit two fadeaways and a 3 (with 7:14 to play) gave us the cushion we needed and control of the game.”
Friday’s record for the most 30-point games is among the latest list of “most” records for James who holds the record for NBA scoring leader and has scored at least 10 points in 1,253 consecutive games; smashing Michael Jordan’s record of 866.