Basketball legends, and lovers of the sport have showered praises on LeBron James after he became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason in the clash against New Orleans.
It was another moment of greatness from the phenomenal James, who continues to defy his age with consistent match-winning performances for the LA Lakers.
The 40-year-old surpassed the milestone mark with a 3-pointer in the first quarter of the 136-115 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
He finished the encounter with 34 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the Lakers to their 17th victory from 20 games, which moved them up to second place in the Western Conference.
Basketball legends, lovers have taken to social media to praise James for his astonishing record.
LA Lakers legend Earvin Magic Johnson hailed James for his record-breaking feat.
He wrote on X: “Congratulations to the King, LeBron James for becoming the only player in NBA history to score 50,000 regular season and playoff points.”
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was full of praise for James, describing him as a superstar.
He wrote on X: “Y’all know who he is, and what he’s been able to do in this league. He’s a superstar. He’s won and lifted teams and he’s doing it with us. We’re all trying to do our part around him.”
LeBron James’s teammate, Luka Doncic described his performances this season as unbearable, lacking the right words to describe his greatness.
He said: “It’s amazing,” Doncic said of James. “Watching him do this stuff at this age, it’s just unbelievable. Like, 50K points, I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K, you never know.”
It was the turn of Basketball fans on social media to shower encomiums on LeBron James.
Laskay Arora said the slam and dunk legend inspires him on a daily basis, hailing him as the greatest player in sports.
He wrote on X: LeBron, you inspire me everyday. You are the Greatest player in sports history. We are the luckiest generation because we can witness your greatness everyday. There will never be another LeBron James.”
Adam Greenbaum tipped James to be in the discussion for the Most Valuable Player of the year in the NBA at the end of the season.
He wrote on X: “If LeBron James is not in the MVP discussion, something is very very wrong with the voting system.”
Another fan wrote: “What you are doing on both sides of the floor at age 40 is beyond what anyone thought was ever possible, keep defying the odds G.O.A.T”.
Milox World said Lebron’s greatness is beyond records, and stats.
He wrote on X: “An era-defining legacy that will stand the test of time. LeBron’s greatness transcends records and stats — he’s rewriting the history books before our eyes.”
James was delighted to add another feather to his cap in the NBA.
He said: “It’s a hell of a lot of points, and I’m super blessed to be able to put that many points up in the best league in the world with the best players in the world over my career. It’s pretty special.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play the game that I love, and I’ve always been true to it, so I’m going to always try to give back,”
In 28 games since turning 40, James is averaging 26.4 points on 54.1% shooting (42.3% from 3), 8.2 rebounds and 8.1 assists.
James is the league’s all-time leader in regular season and postseason scoring — with 41,871 points in the regular season and 8,162 in the playoffs.
In 2023, James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous all-time regular-season scoring record of 38,387 points — a record that stood for 39 years.
He is now nearly 6,000 points clear of Abdul-Jabbar’s total career points tally of 44,149, with Karl Malone third (41,689 points), and the late Kobe Bryant fourth with 39,283 points.
Michael Jordan is fifth on the all-time scoring list with 38,279. Among active NBA players, only Kevin Durant with just over 35,000 points — roughly 15,000 points behind James — makes the top 10.
