The Los Angeles Lakers may have lost to their crosstown rivals the Clippers, but they once again bore witness to the greatness of LeBron James as he racked up record-breaking stat after stat.
James had another one of ‘those games’ against the Los Angeles Clippers. In what would eventually culminate in a 133-115 loss for his side, the 38-year-old had the bit between his teeth and was relentless in his scoring.
The final tally would be 46 points, and in doing so he became the first person to score 40 against all 30 NBA franchises, setting a new personal record on three-pointers, and tying Michael Jordan for the most amount of 45-point games.
As magnificent as his performance was, there was almost an element of edginess, a cut-throat desire to win, one that opposition point guard Paul George labelled as ‘scary’.
“I’ve seen that look in Bron,” George said. “It was scary…it’s just incredible. To be 38 [and score] 46 tonight. That is super impressive. To do it [for] 20 years, that’s what stands out the most is just his longevity in his game and to be available.”
James buried nine three-pointers and had an explosive first half to the game, pulling within 178 of passing Kareem Abdual-Jabbar’s all-time points record. Although his night was bittersweet, he continues to prove that he is a reckonable force, warranting mentions in All-Star and playoff conversations.
George confirmed as much, stating “the league is his. Stand-up guy, been [an] amazing mentor, leader to a lot of us young guys, and he’s been awesome. It’s great that he’ll be the scoring leader”.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) shoots as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) defends and guard Terance Mann (14)
Kawhi Leonard also chipped in to talk about James being an “inspiration” to the next generation, paying tribute to both the length and durability of James’ skills.
“I mean, [James is] one-of-one talent right there. You see it for yourself, the way he’s playing at this age,” Leonard said. “Definitely inspirational for everyone, just to sustain that energy and that mindset to play that long and still wanting to go out and contribute with this effort.”
James and the Lakers next face the tanking San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
