LeBron James made history in Tuesday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, becoming the first player to reach 50,000 career points (regular season and playoffs) in the NBA. It’s an astonishing achievement, and Luka Doncic had the perfect response postgame when asked about his teammate hitting the milestone.
“It’s amazing, watching him do this stuff at this age,” Doncic said. “It’s just unbelievable, like 50K points. I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K. You never know.”
You never say never with James, but 70,000 might be a bit much even for him. The 40-year-old is far from done, though, so he certainly is going to add to his current tally of 50,033 points.
James needed just one point in that game against the Pelicans to reach 50,000, and it didn’t take him long to get it. The 21-time All-Star hit a three-pointer in the opening minutes of the contest, with Doncic fittingly being the one to assist him.
LEBRON JAMES STARTS THE 50,000 POINTS CLUB 🚨👑
Counting regular season & playoffs…
Another spectacular feat for @KingJames! 👏 pic.twitter.com/7IP9MeQ0lz
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2025
James finished with 34 points (10-18 FG), eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks against the Pelicans. It was yet another masterful performance, and he was asked about his latest accomplishment postgame.
“I mean, that’s a lot of points,” James said. “… Obviously, the first thing comes to my mind is where I’m from. Picking up the game when I was a little kid, just having a love for the sport, and was hoping that someday I’d be able to play at the highest level. I’ve been able to do that and really enjoy my career. So it’s definitely an honor. It’s pretty cool to see that.”
James has certainly surpassed the expectations that even he’d have had of himself. He has had a sensational career and could still add to his resume. For a while, it had looked like James’ days of winning championships might be over, but that’s no longer the case following Doncic’s arrival.
Doncic had 30 points (9-19 FG), eight rebounds, 15 assists, one steal, and one block against the Pelicans. He has settled into his new surroundings and is a big reason why the Lakers are currently on a seven-game winning streak.
Doncic’s presence has also lessened the burden on James’ shoulders. He will no longer have to exert a tremendous amount of energy when he steps out on the court, and that could lead to him sticking around for a couple more years than we previously expected.
James had previously stated he feels he could play for 5-7 more years at a high level but added he won’t be doing that. He made that comment before Doncic arrived, though, and perhaps might have changed his stance now.
If the body is still in good shape and he’s winning, then why walk away? It’s been a pleasure to watch James operate all these years, and hopefully, he will stick around for as long as possible.
We’ll see James in action next when the Lakers take on the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday at 10 PM ET. He has dominated against the Knicks for much of his career, and you should expect more of the same in that contest.
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