There was one certainty as LeBron James suited up to take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The Lakers star knew they were the final team on the checklist to complete an unreal NBA accomplishment.
The Clippers were the last franchise that King James had yet to score at least 40 points against – but no longer. LeBron piled on an eye-popping 46 points in a loss to LAC thanks to a career-high nine three-pointers made.
48 vs. Hawks
47 vs. Pacers
46 vs. Cavs
46 vs. Suns
46 vs. Mavs
46 vs. Lakers
46 vs. Clippers
45 vs. Timberwolves
44 vs. Thunder
44 vs. Blazers
44 vs. 76ers
44 vs. Blazers
44 vs. Hornets/Pelicans
44 vs. Spurs
43 vs. Celtics
43 vs. Nuggets
42 vs. Nets
41 vs. Bulls(2/2) pic.twitter.com/y0pXClYl0n
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 25, 2023
To score 40 points even once in the NBA is hard enough. To do it multiple times means you're likely an All-NBA caliber player. But to do it so often that you run the entire gauntlet of teams is an accomplishment that could very well stand the test of time.
Players will more than likely run out of gas before they turn 38, but LeBron James continues to defy Father Time with the Lakers in a way few athletes have ever done.
One edge he has over a few other all-time greats is the fact that he's played on three different teams from both conferences. That granted him more spread-out opportunities to reach the feat compared to say someone like Michael Jordan, who only played for two teams and had just six tries to do it against his Chicago Bulls. His 16.2 points per game average against them was the lowest MJ had versus any team by far.
Fellow Lakers icon Kobe Bryant never had a chance either given that he never played against the purple and gold, for obvious reasons.
Nonetheless, it's a feat worthy of celebrating and a testament to LeBron's longevity as an elite player in this league. It's a record that's going to last for a very, very long time.
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