LeBron James turned 40 years old a few weeks ago, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up big numbers and writing his name into the record books. In the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-88 win over the lowly Washington Wizards on Tuesday, James became the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double after turning 40, joining Karl Malone.
James didn’t have his best shooting performance (8 of 18 from the field), but he did throw down a ridiculous and-one alley-oop over Jonas Valanciunas that brought the crowd to its feet. He also chipped in on the boards and orchestrated the Lakers’ offense to the tune of 21 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
This was James’ ninth triple-double of the season, which is second only to Nikola Jokic (19), and the 121st of his career, which ranks fifth all-time behind Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson, Jokic and Magic Johnson.
James is now the oldest player to record a 20-point triple-double, and his 13 assists are the second-most ever in a game by a 40-year-old. Barring an injury or a surprise retirement, James is only going to continue recording these sort of records. We’ve simply never seen a player impact the game the way he does this late in his career.
For the season, James is averaging 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and nine assists per game, while shooting 51.3% from the field, including 39.8% from 3-point range. No 40-year-old has ever averaged 20 points or nine assists for an entire season; James is on pace to do both.
Thanks to James’ big night, the Lakers recorded their biggest margin of victory this season and improved to 23-18, which has them in sixth place in the crowded Western Conference. They now have a full one-game lead on the Dallas Mavericks in the race for the final automatic playoff spot in the West.
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