LeBron James is no stranger to milestone achievements. This week, he added another one to his long list, as he’s won more games on December 25 than any of his peers and 19 NBA teams.
James scored a team-high 31 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ thrilling 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Austin Reaves had the final say in the win and was the 10th player in NBA history to earn a triple-double on Christmas Day, but the day also belonged to James.
The four-time NBA MVP solidified his spot atop the Christmas Day all-time scoring list by eclipsing 500 points, adding to a week that has included becoming the leader in all-time minutes and second all-time in Lakers franchise history in 3-pointers made (behind the late great Kobe Bryant), among others. And he did all of this in a fantastic duel with Stephen Curry.
All in all, the victory was a breath of fresh air and more than just a confidence-building win; Los Angeles got a victory on a night when James set another milestone.
When James sets or breaks records as a Laker, it more often than not leads to a loss. It’s become so frequent that even his teammates have taken notice of it.
It’s been a trying season for James thus far, as a strong start to the season shooting-wise was followed by a cold spell that stuck out like a sore thumb. The numbers also reveal a season that isn’t out of the ordinary for the 20-time All-Star. Father Time is clearly staking his unbeaten record, but James is clearly not going down without one heck of a fight.
As James is turning 40 on Monday, he’s venturing into territory that only a few have reached. The list gets trimmed down to just James when you count 40-year olds who played into their teens. That being said, Los Angeles has had to adjust to James’ current state and against the Warriors, they held the fort as he found his groove.
A LeBron James milestone has more often than not come at the cost of a win, but the Los Angeles Lakers have recently been on the right side of James’ longevity. He’s been playing long enough for some grade schoolers to be years into their careers, but that shouldn’t make us take the 20-time All-NBA selection for granted.
The loss of Anthony Davis certainly throws some uncertainty into the Lakers’ direction for at least the short term, but for now, James and Los Angeles can celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a victory.
