Despite turning 40, Lakers superstar LeBron James continues to overtake NBA records in his 22nd season, recently surpassing Michael Jordan for career 30-point games and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for both regular-season minutes (57,677) and total combined games played (1,811).
James eclipsed Jordan’s mark with his 563rd career 30-point performance against Atlanta, draining a signature fadeaway over Onyeka Okongwu. While achieving this milestone required LeBron to play 470 more games than Jordan, James maintains superior shooting efficiency at 50.6% compared to Jordan’s 49.7%.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
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Acknowledging his childhood idol, James reflected on the achievement:
“It’s very humbling, anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game… I wear 23 because of him.”
During a victory over Sacramento earlier this season, LeBron overtook yet another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar milestone, setting the minutes played record (pushing past Jabbar’s 57,446 minutes).
With the team winning seven of their last 10 games, James’s recent resurgence has propelled the Lakers’ to a 20-15 record (5th in the Western Conference). Since returning from a foot injury on December 15, LeBron’s averaging 27.4 points on 53.7% shooting (44.7% from three), 8.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
As LeBron continues to systematically dismantle record after record, his durability and sustained performance has redefined the boundaries of NBA longevity. The only remaining question is how many more milestones will fall before the King’s reign ends.