The mythical Fountain of Youth must be true — and LeBron James looks like he’s found it.
At the very tender age of 40, James achieved another historic feat on Tuesday by becoming the first player in NBA history to tally 50,000 combined points in the regular season and the playoffs.
He did it in the Los Angeles Lakers’ easy win over the New Orleans Pelicans, 136-115. He only needed a point before the game to reach the milestone. He accomplished it with his first shot, a three-pointer from the left wing with 8:34 left in the first quarter.
James’ longevity has made him one of one. It has seemingly become a yearly ritual for the Lakers forward to go toe to toe with Father Time, and so far, he still has the upper hand.
For the four-time MVP, it’s all about his unshakable relationship with the process, no matter how draining it can get. He’s in his 22nd season.
“To continue to fall in love with the process, that’s the hardest thing every single year,” said James in a video posted by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s a long season, it’s 82 games, 41 of them on the road, it’s a lot of travel.
“As you get older, it affects you differently. When you have a family, it affects you differently. So, you try not to fall out of love with the process.”
James finished with a team-high 34 points against the Pelicans on 10-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-10 from long range. He added eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
The Lakers have now won 17 of their last 20 games, including seven straight victories. They are 11-2 since acquiring Luka Doncic.
They will finish their six-game homestand against the New York Knicks on Thursday.
