LeBron James’s 40 points vs. Warriors make history for 40 year olds in NBA

On By Littum

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I assume I should make a Super Bowl choice, right? I go with Chiefs, 31-27.

In today’s SI: Am:

40 for 40-year-old lebron
Super Bowls Spiritual Home
Indiana’s Hoops reboot

Did you know that LeBron James is 40 years old? No, seriously. I know it was pretty big news when he celebrated his 40th anniversary in December, but I have to make sure because he has recently played as if he is still 28.

Thursday night victory over Golden State Warriors was the latest occurrence of James returning the clockWhen he finished with 42 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists in a 120–112 Los Angeles Lakers Win.

That kind of game is nothing new to lebron. That was the 78-40-point games in his career and his 35. 40-point double-double. But at 40 years and 38 days old it made him the oldest player in the NBA story to score 40 points in a game, 34 days older than Michael Jordan was when he had 43 points on February 21, 2003. Lebron is now The oldest and youngest Plays in the NBA story of having a 40-point game, after doing it as a rookie in March 2004 at the age of 19 and 88 days.

“I’m old,” Said James after the game. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep.”

The fact that James plays at all at the age of 40 is already impressive enough. Who have Been only 30 players In the NBA story of playing a game after their 40 -year birthday, none of them have been as consistently productive as LeBron has been in the last month. James has only played 18 comb 30-point games of a 40-year-old with five. Jordan had four out of 30 games and Dirk Nowitzki had one in 51 games. Only 10 40 year olds even had 20 points in a gameA feat James has achieved in 16 of these 18 games, tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the second most such games in the league’s history (behind Jordan’s 20).

When you saw James on Thursday night, it was easy to forget his age. If you had used AI to swap a Cavs shirt on him and remove the gray from his beard, someone might have thought they saw the same version of LeBron that ruled the NBA a decade ago. He wasn’t just put up in the corner waiting to beat an open three, as Vince Carter did when he played well in his 40s. LeBron of course made smart, veteran games, but he was also aggressive in transition and with his off-ball movement. He looked just like an elite athlete.

Compare it to Jordan’s 40-point games with Washington Wizards. Jordan played straight up in old man basketball, jab steps and pumping prisoners defenders in oblivion before they knocked the middle bar jumpers. (He took 30 shots in that game, everyone inside the arch.)

Jordan’s two seasons with the wizards are a complicated part of his heritage. Returning to play in the NBA after a three-year absence was a remarkable performance, but he ended his career on a sour note and looked like a shell of his former himself. LeBron, meanwhile, has not lost a step as he plays his 22nd NBA season. No player has been so productive for a long time. He has an average of at least 20 points per Battle in all 22 of its professional seasons, another five seasons than any other player In the history of the league.

Lakers have been inconsistent in Lebron’s seven seasons in Los Angeles. They won the NBA final in the bubble in 2020, but have only won one playoff series in one of the four seasons ago. It could be difficult to make a deep play this season as Lakers is working to integrate Luka Doncic into the offense during the move. But with a 40-year-old James still able to take over games would you be shocked if they made some noise in the post-season?

Illustration of a fan in a Vikings hat on the Super Bowl IX in 1975.

The Super Bowl IX in New Orleans in 1975 is where and when the modern big game was born. / Illustration of Nate Sweitzer

… Things I saw last night:

5. Tyrese Haliburton’s crossover It left thaw Defenders stumble helplessly.
4. Matthew Tkachuk’s Game -winning target For Panthers with only 12 seconds left.
3. Another target for Alexander OvechkinThere has now scored in four straight matches and are 16 goals away from Breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record.
2. LeBron’s Pull-up three from 34 meters out.
1. Deon Perrys Summer Beater From far beyond Half Court to win it for Fairfield and Hand Marist his first MAAC loss of the season.