LeBron James continues to leave people in awe.
"What can you say? We've all been very fortunate to watch his greatness for so long and the fact that he's able to keep doing it, it's actually insane," Lakers head coach JJ Redick said of James after his team's 131-127 win over the Kings on Saturday.
It's "actually insane" indeed.
Redick, like any other fan, was in awe as James scored 16 of his game-high 32 points in a three-minute stretch to start the fourth quarter. Riding on James' hot hand, the Purple and Gold went on a 21-0 run to start the final period after trailing the Kings by seven points at the end of the third quarter.
James would finish with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and was a plus-13 on the floor as the Lakers rallied to an impressive win over their division rivals. In the process, he made history on two separate counts.
LeBron James is the first player in NBA history to record a single quarter with:
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) October 27, 2024
15+ PTS
5+ REB
5+ AST
100% FG
He did it in the 4th quarter in Year 22 pic.twitter.com/9t5Ae4zUdP
LeBron James is the first player in NBA history to record a double-double in their 22nd season. pic.twitter.com/p8En2ktla5
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) October 27, 2024
By scoring 16 points within three minutes for the second time in his career, James became only the fourth player in NBA history to go on such a heater on multiple occasions, joining Kevin Durant (2), Damian Lillard (2), Steve Smith (2) and Stephen Curry (4).
James has now amassed eight 30-point triple-doubles since turning 35. Only two other players registered such a stat line in their final few years.
30-point triple-doubles by a 35+ year old:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 27, 2024
8 — LeBron James
2 — Everyone else combined pic.twitter.com/wVAXtFmFOp
The most mind-blowing aspect of James' feats is they aren't all just "longevity" stats. He's doing stuff no player in NBA history has done, regardless of age. Much like Redick, several other Lakers were lost for words while talking about James' greatness after Saturday's win.
"Just when you think he’s slowing down, man, he continues to show the world why he’s the greatest," Anthony Davis said of James, via The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "To go on that stretch [in the fourth quarter], he actually looked to the bench and was trying to come out the game. We told him, 'You’re not coming out.' He comes out and hits another three. He never ceases to amaze any of us because we just know what he’s capable of."
Last season, James shot a career-high 41 percent from distance while making 2.1 threes per game. While it's still an early sample size, "The King" has continued his exploits from deep thus far, making 2.3 threes per game while shooting 39 percent. Considering that Redick has urged his players to go bombs away, there's no reason to believe James can't continue to make threes at his current pace.
After three home wins to start the season, James and Co. will now travel to five cities for an 11-day road trip, beginning with a game against the Suns on Monday. They will return home to host the Sixers on Friday, Nov. 8.
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