LeBron James Makes NBA History Despite Major Setbacks
The Los Angeles Lakers played against the San Antonio Spurs to commence their NBA Cup competition. The Lakers finished the game with a five-point victory to stay as the fifth seed in the Western Conference with an 8-4 record through 12 games. LeBron James had major setbacks during the game; yet, he made NBA history. How did “King James” achieve this feat?
LeBron James Makes NBA History
The last time LeBron James had four consecutive triple-doubles was in November 2019. In that year, James was 34 years old. Also, the Lakers forward joined Jason Kidd to be the oldest player to have four consecutive triple-doubles. Interestingly, Kidd was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers when James achieved this feat.
The teams the four-time NBA champ played against to achieve this feat in 2019 were the Dallas Mavericks, where he scored 39 points, 16 assists, and 12 rebounds. The San Antonio Spurs with 21 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, and finally, James scored 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls.
This season is LeBron James’ 22nd season, and he’ll be 40 years old on December 30. Throughout this season, the Lakers’ small forward has shown grit and athleticism in his performance. James became the oldest player to get a triple-double in four consecutive games at age 39. Following this performance, the Lakers forward broke his record of consecutive triple-doubles.
James Rewrites the History Books
The 39-year-old small forward started his triple-double streak against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he scored 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists. After defeating the Sixers, he played against the Toronto Raptors and finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists. Then, he took his revenge against the Memphis Grizzlies with a triple-double of 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists.
Finally, James made history against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup tournament. The Lakers forward finished with 15 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. James’ rebounding and playmaking efforts led the Los Angeles Lakers to their first NBA Cup tournament victory this season. Anthony Davis stole the spotlight by scoring 40 points and 12 rebounds to enhance the Lakers’ dominance against Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs. Now, the Lakers are 8-0 in their last eight NBA Cup games.
James’ Comment On His Performance
LeBron James wasn’t having a good shooting night like when he did against the Memphis Grizzlies where he had a 34-point triple-double. Though the three-time NBA champ didn’t have a good shooting night, his teammates went out of their way to make sure James’ effort on the court wasn’t futile. “I think when Bron’s in that mindset of dominating the game in that way, it just empowers everybody else to step up, make shots,” said Lakers Guard Austin Reaves.
James expressed that his major setback was on the offensive side of the court as he had seven turnovers that cost his team. However, the 39-year-old forward followed up by saying that even though he had “no offensive rhythm” throughout the game, he could still make an impact. James also shared his feat with his teammates, who had his back offensively.
“To still have the energy to do that and the effort – it takes a lot. But also, it takes great teammates along the way, too. Those assists only happen when guys are making shots, and I just try to put the ball on time, on target, and then defensively, rebound, and try to help on the glass with Anthony Davis and the rest of the guys. And sprinkle in a few points from time to time. But waiting 22 years to do something is wild,” LeBron James said on his fourth triple-double.
Final Thoughts
JJ Redick once said in a postgame interview that LeBron James has mastered the game. Redick made this statement after the Lakers’ 34-point triple-double performance against the Memphis Grizzlies. James is fifth in all-time triple-double performance list with 117 triple-doubles. This season, James’ playmaking skill and effort in the defensive ends of the court is what has kept the Lakers competitive this season under rookie Coach Redick.
