During Los Angeles Lakers’ home loss to the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James made NBA history by becoming the first player to score 40,000 points in his career with a scoop layoff off the glass. The NBA icon was just nine points shy from reaching the milestone before the contest.
He used a spin move to get away from Michael Porter Jr. of Denver and placed the ball with his left hand to attain the milestone. When James scored 40,000 points, the sold-out audience cheered him on and gave him a standing ovation when he went to the bench during the ensuing break.
Just over a year ago, LeBron passed Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the highest scoring player in the NBA.
In his 21st season, the 39-year-old is expected to score roughly 25 points each game on average.
James has emerged as an NBA superstar since making his debut, having won four NBA titles, four MVP honors, and four Finals MVP trophies. He won the 2012 Olympics for Team USA, and he’s in the player pool for the main tournament in Paris this year.
LeBron wasn’t happy about reaching the milestone because it didn’t keep the Lakers from losing. “I regret that it happened in defeat because, to me, winning is always the most important thing. “I had a great time on the floor tonight, even though it was bittersweet,” he remarked.