The post King of the court: LeBron James reaches 40,000 career points appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
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LeBron James makes history as the first NBA player to score 40,000 career points, achieving the milestone during a critical game against the Denver Nuggets.
King James has done it all and now he's joined a club all by himself.
LeBron James is the first & maybe last player to ever join the 40K CLUB
— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) March 3, 2024
Nick Wright: "For Giannis, he would have to average 30 PTS, playing 75 GMS a year for the next 11 years. For Luka: 35 PTS, 75 GMS, 12 years. For a new player: 35 PTS, 75 GMS, 15 and a half seasons." pic.twitter.com/DRpGZgKblD
LeBron James has now entered an exclusive group, surpassing 40,000 career points. The reigning king of basketball, James becomes the first to achieve this milestone, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 points. Among a roster of elite basketball players, LeBron sits at the pinnacle, unmatched. It's truly the most astonishing record i've seen throughout my lifetime in sports. And that doesn't include the 8,023 points he's scored in the playoffs.
After his bucket, Laker nation celebrated LeBron and the moment in a time out. Grateful for the fans, the former Cavalier recognized how special it is.
"Being the first player to do something is pretty cool in this league", said James (NBA).
What an incredible feat, reaching 40,017 points. Since he was just 18 years old, LeBron has played in 1,475 career games, totaling 55,988 minutes, with 10,847 assists, and 11,046 rebounds. Even after playing over 55,000 minutes, the Lakers star continues to perform at a level reminiscent of his mid-twenties.
Although 40,000 is a heck of a lot of points, LeBron said "I was that on no kid. He emphasized the weight of expectations he faced at just 18 years old, acknowledging the pressure and scrutiny from those who hoped for his failure.
Just a few days after the big accomplishment, James was named Western Conference player of the week. Through week 19, James averaged 30.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists on 50 percent three-point shooting.
James has never missed an entire season in his career
While LeBron's achievement is undoubtedly remarkable, his durability stands out as his greatest attribute. Throughout his career, he has consistently been able to maintain a high level of performance despite the wear and tear of the game. LeBron managed to play in 74 games during 13 out of his first 15 NBA seasons. Remarkably, he has never missed an entire season due to injury, showcasing his remarkable resilience and commitment to the game.
Not many athletes can claim such durability. After setting the record with his 20th All-Star appearance, LeBron's game count began to decline only after he joined the Lakers. Nonetheless, this season, he has appeared in 54 games, averaging an impressive 35.1 minutes per game. The remarkable physical condition and high level of basketball he continues to demonstrate are truly extraordinary.
James, 39, is in his 21st NBA season. The oldest active player in the NBA, LeBron was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers no. 1 overall in the 2003 draft. Throughout his career, he's played for the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, now the Los Angeles Lakers. The all-time leader in NBA points scored, the King has several personal and team accolades.
LeBron, a four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, four-time MVP, olympic gold medalist, and a 20-time All-Star, has lived up to his reputation as a generational talent since his 2003 debut.
As I forecasted on episode six of the Cook it and Book it Podcast, LeBron James reached his 40,000th point in classic LeBron style. With just over 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, the King isolated Michael Porter Jr., executing a drive and spin move for a layup. Despite his recent success from beyond the arc, shooting at an impressive 51.1% over the past ten games, LeBron's athleticism and drives to the basket have always been his trademark.
LeBron James daughter was present for the Lakers "girl dad" night
FIRST-EVER.
— NBA (@NBA) March 3, 2024
40K Points for the Scoring King
As LeBron returned to play defense, the crowd erupted in excitement, with his wife Savannah, mother Gloria, and daughter Zhuri all in attendance. Being an Akron native, LeBron expressed how meaningful it was to have his daughter there, emphasizing his pride in being a "girl dad."
"It's definitely special," said LeBron post game. "When I looked up there in the stands and seen her sitting up there and when the 40,000-point mark hit, definitely looked up there at my wife, looked at my daughter, my mom, and my daughter was just clapping and pumping her arms up in the air so that was a super cool moment."(NBA YouTube).
And on the Lakers first official girl dad night, LeBron was able to share a moment with his daughter immediately after he surpasses 40,000 points. With the special occasion, LeBron was able to share the moment up close and personal with his loved ones.
"Blew her a kiss, she blew one back to me," said James. "That's super cool for sure. Definitely a girl dad, and happy she's a part of the family. She runs everything, so what Z says goes." (NBA YouTube)
While it was a momentous occasion for LeBron James, it was also bittersweet as the Lakers suffered a defeat to the Nuggets, losing 124-114 on their home court. Despite LeBron's milestone, the Lakers' overall record stands at 33-29, placing them at the 10th position in the Western Conference. Losing a game after such a significant achievement is undoubtedly disappointing, regardless of the opponent.
And to make it worse, the Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Nuggets in last year's western conference finals. With the loss on Saturday, James led with a team high 26 points, 3 steals, 9 assists, and four rebounds. He finished the night on 12-20 from the floor. After maintaining a first half lead, the Nuggets were simply too much for the Lakers, outscoring them 67-48 in the second half. Not only did Denver dominate on the boards, but they had 64 points in the paint.
LeBron James is the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 regular season points
With this achievement, LeBron James has now exceeded some of the greatest players in basketball history, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. In a class by himself, James gave some insight how he achieved 40k points, and whether he can see any current athlete surpassing him.
LeBron credits durability and longevity to hitting this major milestone
From the way LeBron James talks about it, he attributes his longevity and durability to his ability to play at such a high level for so long.
"Obviously you have to play the game quite a while and have some good luck as far injuries and things of that nature," James told the media. "You have to take care of your body, you have to be present on the floor. Then you have to be productive as well. Obviously we have a lot of great guys in our league that can score the ball. If they were able to stay healthy and they were to play a long time, then they can eclipse it." (NBA)
Just last February, James passed Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA all-time scoring leader in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While LeBron James continues to be the face of the NBA, there has been considerable speculation about who will assume that role once he retires. Names like Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Jayson Tatum have emerged as potential successors to carry the torch for the league.
At the end of the day, LeBron was very fortunate for good influences despite hardships growing up. While James had a "great head on his shoulders," he thanked his mother and little league coaches for raising him the right way. He also adds his friends accountability and support from his now wife, Savannah kept him on the straight and narrow.
Stay tuned for more related NBA articles and podcasts.?Click here
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator and Social Media Manager for Ballislife Bets.?She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
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]]>The post (1993) Michael Jordan Scores 64 In A Loss To A Rookie Shaq (29pts 24rebs) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>On this day in history, January 16th of 1993, Michael "Air" Jordan attempted 49 field goals (60 shots total if you count free throws) in a single game. To put that number in perspective, when Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, he attempted 46 field goals and 66 total shots if you include his 20 free throw attempts.
I'm not putting down MJ in any way for taking so many shots in this OT game,?I'm just saying 49 field goals is a lot. Since 1985, there have only been five instances when a player attempted over 45. Of those five, three came from the hands of Kobe Bryant (including a game where he only made 17-of-47 shots) and the other guy beside Jordan on this shortlist is Chris Webber, who scored 51 with his 47 attempts.
So what did MJ accomplish with his 49 attempts? How about 64 points (did I mention he had a hurt wrist) -- good enough for his second-highest point total ever and 10th all-time in the NBA since 1963. During that time, only David Thompson, Pete Maravich, and Wilt have scored more. But what makes Jordan's effort in this game against a rookie Orlando Shaq so notable is that it came in a loss. Yep, Michael Jordan scored 64 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, made 1 assist (1 assist!) and stole the ball 5 times, only to have the Orlando Magic steal the game: 128-124.
One person who would disagree with the "stealing" comment was Bull's assistant coach Tex Winter. With 44 seconds left in regulation and the Bulls up by 6, Tex told the Zen Master they didn't deserve this win. Then came a turnover by MJ, a rebound and dunk by Shaq -- who had 29 points and 24 rebounds -- missed free throws by Bill Cartwright and a wide-open three by Chicago native Nick Anderson, who was also the man Jordan was supposed to be covering.
OT would see much of the same from the final minute of regulation. Turnovers and missed free throws by the Bulls and Nick Anderson coming through in the clutch for a Magic team that found redemption after losing to the Bulls in Orlando four days earlier.
"We should be disappointed, we should be mad at ourselves for giving away this game, but not to the point where you start pointing fingers at teammates," said Jordan as the majority of his teammates refused to comment. "We should evaluate what we did and make sure it doesn't happen again.
The funny thing about the "doesn't happen again" statement is the Magic have a history of beating MJ and the Bulls when Mike has a great game. This was the third time Jordan scored 45+ against Orlando and the Bulls lost all three of those, including the infamous stolen jersey game.
As mentioned, Jordan did finish with his second-highest point total and most field goals ever but when asked about his personal accomplishments in the game, MJ didn't even want to acknowledge it.
"The points don't make a difference to me," Jordan said. "It's just wasted energy in a sense because we didn't finish the game the way we should have.?'We just gave away the game. 'We played good enough, but we just made some dumb plays. When you blow a six-point lead in less than a minute, there is something wrong with that. Getting 64 points doesn't mean anything when you lose.''
Magic coach Matt Goukas summed up the win nicely by just saying, ''Sometimes fate smiles on you.''
MICHAEL JORDAN 64 POINT BREAKDOWN:?22 in the 1st quarter. 8 in the 2nd. 11 in the 3rd. 16 in the 4th and 7 in OT
BONUS VIDEOS
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]]>The post 5’10 Elliott Cole Goes OFF for 63 Points in a game!! Nation’s TOP scorer! Pure shooter with Handles! (Official Ballislife Mix) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>Averaging 38.1 PPG (#1 in nation on maxpreps.com), Ballislife headed to Little Village HS to see the electrifying point guard for the second time and he put up a career high 63 points in a 96-58 win!
For those wondering about the strength of Little Village’s program, they have D1 recruits and they recently defeated teams who have defeated Powerhouse this season. This was no mismatch (on paper).
Cole made 8-11 3-pointers, 13-16 free throws and finished with 10 assists. His previous high scoring total was 49 points.
According to the Chicago Sun Times and IHSA.org, it was the first time since 1991 (Chicago Harvard's Walter Simmons, 75 points) that at least 63 points have been recorded.
Earlier this season, wersus nationally-ranked Whitney Young HS, Cole was the sole focus of the Dolphins defense. He got off to a slow start, scoring just two points in the first quarter. That’s all Power House scored in the quarter too.
Then Cole put up seven in the second quarter, nine in the third and six in the fourth to finish with 24 points and four assists.
An academic qualifier, Chicago State has offered and Eastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Illinois State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Western Michigan and Wyoming have all shown interest but expect the list to grow!
For more Elliott Cole, Powerhouse High and Chicago basketball highlights, watch www.ebooksnet.com all season long!
Thanks to Powerhouse High Head Coach Jermaine Johnson and everyone at Little Village HS.
photo by Mike K. at websportschicago.com
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