LeBron James is going to appear in a historic 22nd consecutive All-Star Game for his next on-court outing. But just before doing that bit of history, James made another bit of history on Thursday night. In his final contest before the All-Star Break, James did something no one his age has done in the history of basketball.
LeBron James becomes oldest to ever record triple-double
LeBron James made history to open the contest last night against the Dallas Mavericks. The forward scored or assisted on the Los Angeles Lakers’ first 23 points. That’s the longest streak of his career, and he did it at age 41.
That hot start continued, and he ended up recording 28 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds. At 41 years and 44 days old, James became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He passed Karl Malone, who was 40 years and 127 days old.
The crowd erupted fittingly when James grabbed his final rebound with just over two minutes to go. “I’m more appreciative of moments like this in my career, understanding where I’m at,” James said via ESPN. “I’m at the later stage of my journey, so definitely taking it in a little bit more.”
Perhaps ironically, the triple-double came in a matchup against Cooper Flagg’s team. He did not play due to injury, but he’s been setting records as the youngest player in NBA history to do things this season. Had he played, it would’ve been an epic matchup of elite youngster vs. elite old man.
“To be able to do it and get the win is, that means more to me than anything,” James added. “But I’m very blessed to play this game, play it at a high level.” The Lakers are currently 1.5 games up on the seven seed, the Phoenix Suns, to avoid the Play-In Tournament this postseason.
His coach, JJ Redick, is four months older than James. He has been retired for five years and spent time in the media before becoming a coach. “I don’t take for granted how good he is. I recognize that on a daily basis,” Redick said. “It’s really just the day-to-day professionalism and care factor that he exhibits that is the most remarkable thing. … He’s got a 23-year prime, basically. And there’s different versions of him, but that’s what’s remarkable.”
Will LeBron James retire?
Being the oldest player in NBA history to do anything is highly impressive, but it also means that LeBron James is old. His game has taken a slight step back this year, but he’s still playing, obviously, at an All-Star level.
The Lakers star is as of yet undecided on his NBA future. He may retire after this year, which is the final season of his contract with the Lakers. But if he does decide to retire, it won’t be because the wheels fell off and he couldn’t play anymore.
“My game is not going anywhere,” James said. “It’s just my body. It’s so many more factors that come with how long will I play the game. I don’t think my game will ever suffer if I decided to continue to go, however long that is. I just think it has to be : How long can I stay in love with the process?”
That process has always been James’ calling card. So if he can’t stay in love with that, then his mental commitment is going to wane. And if that happens, James believes his body will follow suit. Once that happens, “it’s a wrap,” James noted. “Then the love goes, and then the fun and all that stuff goes. So that’s what it is. It’s not my game is deteriorating.”
Whatever the future holds for James is unclear. What is clear is that he’s still, at 41 years old, one of the best basketball players on the planet.
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