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Every milestone LeBron James reaches offers an opportunity to reflect on his sustained greatness in the face of unprecedented expectations. For LeBron — who became the first player in NBA history to surpass 40,000 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 124-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday — the entire ride has represented the ultimate response to the haters.
👑THE KING STANDS ALONE👑
LeBron James becomes the founding member of the 40K POINT CLUB👏
✅LeBron James 40K PT by Layup: +175pic.twitter.com/U5dPbQUhJY
— ClutchPoints Betting (@CPBetting) March 3, 2024
“I wouldn't tell him anything, honestly,” LeBron, 39, said when asked what advice he would give his rookie self. “Because 18-year-old LeBron had a great head on his shoulders. He just did. He was put in a position where I wouldn't wish too many 18-year-old kids would be put into. But he just had his head in the best possible position. He was raised the right way by his mother, he was raised the right way by his little league coaches, he was held accountable by his friends, he met a young lady in high school that held him down as well.
“Besides my family and my friends and my city and some people in my city … everybody wanted to see me fail when I got to the league. Everybody was just like, ‘There's no way he's gonna be able to exceed the expectations that's put upon him.'”
With 21 years, four titles, four MVPs, and a legit GOAT case since being labeled “The Chosen One,” it's hard to quibble with LeBron's perspective.
Over the last few seasons, LeBron has been closely tailed by a documentary crew. They've been present for history-making occasions, such as the night he broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar's all-time scoring record. On Saturday, a handful of camera operators captured his moves around Crypto.com Arena.
“For the first time in a long time, I seen the commercial that was played before my first game,” LeBron continued, referencing this 2003 promo for his NBA debut. “I think they were mentioning all the greats to ever play the game of basketball. I think it was like Big O and Michael and Kareem and Kobe. … Then it was like, and the next one is LeBron James. … Watching it today, I was like ‘What the hell?' Like that expectation on an 18-year-old kid. That was insane to just think about.
“I wish that on no kid in no sport — to have to have this type of pressure put on them and everybody wanting to see you fail. So, I wouldn't tell that 18-year-old kid nothing. I would tell him just to do exactly what you're thinking. No matter what. Just stay true to yourself, believe in yourself and don't every get too high. You get too high, they're gonna try to knock you off. But at the same time, if you fall, like the late, great Aaliyah said: ‘Just pick yourself up and try again.'”
In Part 2 of his answer, LeBron talked about watching a commercial today from before his NBA debut that compared him to Kobe, Jordan, Kareem, etc. “I was like, what the hell? Like that expectation on an 18 year old kid?” https://t.co/0eM5HE8ksM pic.twitter.com/NNdMxVgZ0m
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) March 3, 2024
LeBron James, Lakers' Nuggets problem
LeBron James has traversed every terrain the game of basketball has presented. He has not only reached the mountaintop — he has built estates on it. Two decades into his trek, though, LeBron has encountered an unconquerable obstacle: Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
Including the 2023 conference finals, Denver has toppled Los Angeles in eight straight meetings. For the most part, each game has adhered to an identical script: The Lakers hang tough into crunch time, only to watch the defending champions turn minor mistakes into deflating baskets. After spending the bulk of the game running improvised action built on chemistry and Jokic's wizardry, the Nuggets deploy unstoppable “Peja” sets — named after the Peja Stokajokic-era Sacramento Kings — for the closing possessions. Jokic and Murray play a two-man game, surrounded by the ideal combination of size, athleticism, and shooting.
“Just want to be better. Want to figure out how I, how we, can be better vs. this team,” said LeBron — who, until Prime Jokic, has always been the best late-game Chessmaster on the floor. “They have our number. We haven't beat them in quite a while, and its always kind of the fourth quarter….They make plays, we don't make plays.”
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Jokic plodded his way to 35 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, outdueling Anthony Davis (17 points, 11 rebounds). The Lakers executed crisply (33 assists, 52.8% shooting), evidenced by a balanced offensive attack (Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell each scored 17+ points). Yet, it was negated by the relentless production of Murray (24 points, 11 assists), Gordon (18 points), and Michael Porter Jr. (25 points, 10-for-10 shooting). Denver shot 58.7% and dished 34 dimes.
The Lakers (33-29, 0.5 games back of the No. 9 seed) led by eight at halftime. Denver tightened the screws as the Lakers' focus and defensive communication slightly dipped in the third. Still, a LeBron layup with 4:11 left in regulation put the home team up, 110-108. The Nuggets promptly stormed back with an all-too-familiar feeling 16-4 run. Ball game.
“At some point, we'll overcome what we're going through with this team.” said Darvin Ham. “They made plays. That's what championship teams do. We just didn't make enough of them.”
LeBron's greatness has been the theme of the week for the Lakers. In back-to-back wins over the Los Angeles Clippers (Thursday) and the Washington Wizards (Friday), he dazzled with fourth-quarter heroics. Saturday served as a celebration of his staggering longevity and consistency.
Lakers' LeBron James is the first NBA player to score 40,000 points.
James scored his first 10,000 points in the exact same number of games as it took him to go from 30,000 to 40,000
– 10K in 368 games
– 10K to 20K in 358 games
– 20K to 30K in 381 games
– 30K to 40K in 368 games pic.twitter.com/mw5nkSizyy— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 3, 2024
Outside LeBron's milestone, the theme from the Lakers who spoke postgame — Ham, LeBron, AD, Reaves, Rui Hachimura — was a mix of frustration, bafflement, and a tinge of envy. At the repetitive nature of their failures against Denver. At their inability to stop what they know is coming — a product of the Nuggets' cohesion and construction around Jokic. And, at the suddenness with which their margin for error slims in against the champs.
“In a sense,” AD replied when asked if he feels like the Lakers are closer to cracking the Nuggets' code, in case they meet again in the playoffs. “Cause they do the same thing and they beat us with it every time. Yes, we're getting closer, as far as the first 42 minutes, or you could say even 44 minutes. And then that last four minutes, it's just them getting to what they get to. And they make us pay on our mistakes.”
Anthony Davis on what he told LeBron after losing on his milestone game:
"[LeBron] gonna have to stop breaking records because we always lose when he breaks a record."
(via @michaelcorvo_) pic.twitter.com/7EdmVHHBZG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 3, 2024
“It's a great moment,” continued Davis, on LeBron's feat. “Obviously, it would be better if we were able to get the win, which sucks. Kinda, I don't want to say ruined the moment, but put a little cloud over it. But it's definitely a great accomplishment for a guy like that, who guys say isn't a scorer. Able to get 40,000, first to ever do it in history. And it looks like no one is gonna be able to even get close to it. As a friend, as a brother, a teammate, I'm definitely happy for him. And just excited to be able to witness that live.”
The good news for Davis and the Lakers is there won't be any more documentary-crew-worthy history for LeBron James to make for the rest of this season, besides, of course, winning a fifth championship. To make that happen, though, the Lakers will probably have to find a way to beat the Nuggets.
