LeBron James Shatters Jordan’s Milestone: The New King of 30-Point Games!

LOS ANGELES — From the No. 23 on his jersey to the turnaround, fadeaway jumper he executed in the fourth quarter to achieve the milestone, LeBron James not only paid tribute to Michael Jordan but also broke his record for the most 30-point games in NBA history during the Los Angeles Lakers’ triumph over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday evening.

“It’s incredibly humbling,” James stated after the Lakers triumphed 119-102 at Crypto.com Arena for their eighth victory in the last 11 contests. “Whenever I’m mentioned alongside any of the legends, and arguably the greatest ever to play this game, it’s super cool. He’s someone I admired deeply growing up, and I wear 23 because of him. So knowing that I can sit here and be part of the discussion or whatever it is, when you mention MJ, it’s just incredibly awesome for me, being a kid from where I came from.”

With a jumper from 18 feet with 5:58 remaining for his final 30 points, James recorded at least 30 points in a regular-season match for the 563rd time in his career, surpassing the record set by Jordan in 2003. Jordan achieved the record in 1,072 games over 15 seasons. James surpassed the milestone in his 1,523rd game over 22 seasons.

Anthony Davis, who made his return from an ankle injury to score 18 points, 19 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, teased James for taking so long to eclipse Jordan.

“It took him seven more seasons,” Davis remarked, casting a smirk in James’ direction. “But that’s undeniably a hell of an achievement. I think he’s probably No. 1 f—ing everything at this moment.”

James grew up idolizing Jordan in Akron, Ohio, and when he surpassed Jordan for fourth place on the NBA’s career scoring list in March 2019, the moment brought him to tears on the Lakers’ bench. He referred to Jordan as “an inspiration” and “the spark that ignited my aspirations, because I wanted to emulate him.”

As James approached Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record two seasons back, he jokingly suggested he could attempt to eclipse the all-time great by shooting Abdul-Jabbar’s signature skyhook.

The shot that secured his 30 points on Friday — a turnaround, fadeaway jumper from the left wing — was a signature maneuver of Jordan’s.

Only with a variation.

“He was more of a left-shoulder fadeaway type,” James mentioned. “I tend to go the opposite direction. But it’s two masters of their art, putting in effort and dedication to the point where it becomes nearly unguardable. It’s all about hard work. … I observed MJ extensively and noticed how balanced he remained, even while fading away from the basket. So I aimed to replicate that as my career progressed.”

Interestingly, on Friday, James also surpassed Dirk Nowitzki (1,522) for the fourth-most regular season games played in NBA history.

Having turned 40 last week, James is one of the few remaining active players who personally witnessed Jordan during his prime in the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls.

However, James displays absolutely no indications of slowing down in his record-tying 22nd season: He scored 38 points against the Portland Trail Blazers the night before to tie Jordan’s 30-point milestone.

James connected on seven 3-pointers against the Trail Blazers while achieving the third-highest points total ever scored by a player over 40 — second only to two games by Jordan with the Washington Wizards shortly after he reached 40.

Last season, James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and he possesses numerous additional longevity milestones. He has recorded at least 10 points in 1,253 straight games over the past 18 years, shattering the record established by Jordan from 1986 to 2001 (866).

“It’s just another accomplishment in his career that certainly highlights his greatness and endurance,” Lakers coach JJ Redick commented.

James added: “I simply love the game. … I still have a bit left in the tank, so I guess I’ll keep going until it’s more or less empty.”