40,000 points
As expected, LeBron James canned his 40,000th point against the Nuggets yesterday. With his regular season tally at 39,991 and a double-figure-scoring streak of 1,204 matches dating back to 2007 in his pocket, he was certain to hit the mark in front of Lakers fans at the Crypto.com Arena. And, sure enough, it took him just six shots and 18 seconds short of 10 minutes of exposure to achieve the milestone. Interestingly, the capacity crowd of 18,997 was already on its feet prior to his drive, their mobile phones out and ready to capture the moment.
James would go on to score 17 more markers (along with four boards, nine dimes, and three swipes) in 37 minutes of action — his numbers a reflection of his remarkable consistency even as he looks to climb more mountains. He has already said he plans to continue toiling beyond his 21st year, and for as long as he puts up All-Star stats, there’s no telling how much his aggregate will be when all is said and done. It’s a testament to his longevity that he’s already 1,630 points past erstwhile career leader Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a whopping 11,675 ahead of second-running Kevin Durant among active players.
If there’s any black mark to James’ feat yesterday, it’s that he failed to will the Lakers to victory. For some reason, the Nuggets simply have their number; including the egg they laid in the immediate past Western Conference Finals, they’ve lost to the reigning National Basketball Association champions eight straight times. As with most other encounters against their rivals during the streak, they managed to stay close until the final minutes, only to fold in the face of relentless reliability. They invariably seem to be up against unfailing confidence; the Core Four of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon have such a surfeit of self-assurance to the point of producing exactly what’s needed when needed.
All the same, James was appropriately mindful of the extent of his accomplishment in the aftermath. He stands alone in pro hoops annals, and for all the arguments on the undefeated nature of Father Time, he’s doing his damned best to delay the inevitable with aplomb.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.