LeBron James has been playing so long he basically only has his own records left to break.
LeBron James breaks the NBA’s All-Time scoring record every single time he puts the ball in the basket, but that wasn’t the only history he made while leading the Lakers to a 128-123 win vs. the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
In the victory, James scored 35 points to go with 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his third triple-double in a row, and fourth of the season. That may not sound all that unprecedented considering the prodigious statistical territory LeBron’s career has existed within, but one stat from TSN sports stats maven Keerthika Uthayakumar put it in staggering perspective: Not only has no player as old as James — who is 39 years old, and will turn 40 next month — ever had three consecutive triple-doubles, but the only player to ever previously achieve the mark at anywhere close to James’ current age?
Well, James himself, of course:
39-year-old LeBron James is the oldest player in NBA history to record 3 straight triple-doubles.
The previous oldest player was 34-year-old LeBron James. https://t.co/OhC7WKQsCp
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 14, 2024
Some insane LeBron notes:
– 2nd in the NBA in triple-doubles this season
– leading the Lakers with 9.4 assists, 2nd in minutes & rebounds.
– shooting a *career-high* 45.9% from three
– 1 of 3 players to be averaging 20/8/8 this seasonThis is year 22.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 14, 2024
He is also the only player to record 30-point triple-doubles 19 years apart.
Those aren’t the only mind-blowing stats, however — LeBron’s first triple-double was on Jan. 19, 2005. His son and current teammate, Bronny James, was three months old at the time, and six players to get NBA minutes this season — Ulrich Chomche (Toronto Raptors), Pacome Dadiet (New York Knicks), Tidjane Salaün (Charlotte Hornets), Ron Holland (Detroit Pistons), and Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards) — were not yet born.
Even more impressively, according to Uthayakumar, is that incredibly, THIRTY players currently on rosters were not alive yet when James recorded his first 30-point triple-double:
LeBron James recorded his first career 30-point triple-double on April 9, 2005. He recorded his 40th career 30-point triple-double tonight, 19 years later.
There are 30 players in the NBA that weren’t alive when he recorded his first.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) November 14, 2024
It’s all just the latest wild statistical data from The King, and yet another indicator that for all the promising young players in the NBA currently and coming in the future, we simply may never see longevity quite like LeBron’s again.
