Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in a league of his own after becoming the first player to reach 40,000 career points, a feat he achieved during the team’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
The accomplishment had some of the world’s biggest brands congratulating the future Hall of Famer. Nike even made sure to remind people that James also has more than 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists to his name.
A tier of his own 👏
40,000 for @kingjames 👑 pic.twitter.com/hdpWyKzmlQ
— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) March 3, 2024
Numbers don’t lie.
Yet again, @kingjames has rewritten the equation for greatness: 40k points, 10k assists, 10k rebounds. Truly one of one. #WeAreAllWitnesses pic.twitter.com/GuucylJI27
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) March 3, 2024
Some of his peers showered the four-time MVP with praise via social media, with Kevin Durant recognizing the fact that James continues to set the bar high for other basketball players.
40k!!!! Man he’s something else 🙌🏾
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) March 3, 2024
His former team, the Miami Heat, and Dwyane Wade gave James a salute on his Instagram post. It’s worth noting that of the four-time champion’s over 40,000 points, 7,919 of those came when he was wearing a Heat uniform.
A few legends and retired players also shouted James out on social media. Hilariously, Gilbert Arenas claimed to have played a role in the incredible feat. The former rivals met plenty of times on the court. Most of those battles took place when the 20-time All-Star was still on the Cleveland Cavaliers, where James amassed a total of 23,119 points across two stints.
I did my part helping LeBron get to 40,000 points 😂 pic.twitter.com/GRt9die24R
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) March 3, 2024
Congratulations to my brother and the 🐐 for the ONLY player ever to reach 40K!!!! Carry the hell on… pic.twitter.com/BLPFyLyulZ
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) March 3, 2024
I love that I’m here tonight, I got to see when LeBron broke Kareem’s record, and the fact I was the one who passed it to Kareem when he originally set the record! Now we need the Lakers to pull out a victory to make the night even bigger and better for LeBron!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 3, 2024
Congrats @KingJames
Top of the top https://t.co/366ieBA5Ij— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorld37) March 3, 2024
What a great @Lakers game and performance by the @KingJames .
Once upon a time there were dinosaurs and also a real basketball player who scored 40,000 points. pic.twitter.com/LcZwYVwxs5
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorld37) March 3, 2024
Even one of the 39-year-old star’s staunchest critics posted on X (formerly Twitter) to acknowledge his accomplishment. But in true Skip Bayless fashion, the sports commentator just had to bring up Michael Jordan.
CONGRATS, LEBRON, FOR 40,000 POINTS.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 3, 2024
Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring 10 times — to just once for LeBron James. MJ also won a Defensive Player of the Year — LeBron none. MJ: 6-0 in Finals with 6 MVPs. LeBron has as many Finals losses as MJ had wins. But who remembers any of that tonight?
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 3, 2024
It’s also interesting to see James’ achievement from different perspectives.
This is what 40,000 points looks like. Congrats, LeBron. pic.twitter.com/yx8xvbmtnE
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 3, 2024
To get to 40,000 career @NBA points:
20 points per page for 82 games for 24 years.
25 points per game for 82 games for 19.5 years.
30 points per game for 82 games for 16 years.
———Conclusion: LeBron is a freak of nature, and this record will not be broken. 👑
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 3, 2024
Only time will tell if any other player can match or eclipse James’ record. It’s worth noting, though, that he is far from done adding to his already wonderful resume.
In his 21st season in the league, he has proven to still be a deadly scorer, averaging 25.3 points per game and shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, his highest field-goal percentage in a Lakers uniform. Moreover, James looks like he still has plenty of seasons left in his tank, so his career points will continue to grow further.
With the recent milestone now in the books, the former scoring champion is likely focused on helping Los Angeles fight for the NBA title this season. After the loss to the Nuggets, it is currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference.
The Lakers have a tough schedule ahead, as their next 10 opponents are in the thick of the postseason race. However, they proved last season that having to fight through the play-in tournament wont’ stop them from making a run to the Western Conference Finals.
Still, the Purple and Gold can benefit from nabbing one of the top-six seeds in the West to avoid the play-in. It remains to be seen if Los Angeles can turn things around.
