Lakers’ LeBron James passes Jordan as oldest to score 40

Los Angeles-after being the oldest player in the NBA story for the top 40 points in Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James said the obvious about the performance.

“What do I think? That I’m old,” James said Thursday after scoring 42 points on 14-for-25 shooting to lead Lakers to their 10. Victory in the last 12 games. “That’s what I think. I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s the first thing I think about.”

James, 40 years and 38 days old, is about a month older than Michael Jordan was when he scored 43 points on February 21, 2003 for Washington Wizards at 40 years and 4 days old.

“The biggest thing is that we got the victory, of course,” James said, when asked to be linked to Jordan, his childhood hero, in yet another statistical category after 22 seasons in the league. “But through my journey, at any time I’ve been named or in the category or whatever it is pretty cool.”

Opposite a well-known enemy in Stephen Curry on Thursday night, James’ 3-point shot was locked inside. He hit his first five 3-point attempts, including three just in a 28-second expiry in the second quarter-finals one of the sequence coming from the Lakers’ logo at Center Court, 34 meters from the basket.

Moonshot set La 45-23 with 9:09 pm in the second quarter, causing Warriors coach Steve Kerr to burn a timeout as James lifted both his arms to the air and egged on the violent home crowd.

James has dedicated part of his first name routine to practice the deep “logo” 3s this season, with Laker’s assistant coach Greg St. Jean rebounding for him.

“I always work on things that I have to shoot in the game or play that I have to do in the game,” James said. “So it is definitely paiding off.”

James is also the youngest player in the league story to score 40 in a game and drop 41 for Cleveland Cavaliers on March 27, 2004, when he was 19 years and 88 days old.

“I think that with LeBron we have run out of words and superlatives and descriptions to kind of catching what he is doing at this stage of his career and at this age,” said Laker’s coach JJ Redick. “It’s still remarkable, it really does. And he really led us tonight.”

James added 17 rebounds and 8 assists, with a new teammate, Luka Doncic, then from the bench in a black Lakers sweatsuit.

LA is now No. 5 in the Western Conference position, a game behind No. 4 Houston rockets with Doncic targeting to make Hans Lakers debut Monday against Utah Jazz, told a source who is familiar with his plans, to ESPN .

And then it will be James’ turn to see his teammate – personally.

“I’ve seen him since he entered this league,” James said of Doncic. “And what he’s able to do is special. He’s a super-duper special talent.”