Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (4) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

LeBron James makes history twice in Lakers' loss to Celtics

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Feb 23, 2026 8:03 AM ET

On a historic day for LeBron James and the Lakers, Los Angeles fell to their rival Boston Celtics, 111-89.

But despite securing the victory on the backs of Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard, who both reached at least 30 points, it was still James who made headlines for multiple historic career achievements.

LeBron James made history twice in one day

First, just for playing, James, 41, moved into a territory he now shares with only one other player throughout NBA history. James became the second player to ever play in 1,600 career regular-season games. He's now just 11 games away from matching Celtics legend Robert Parrish, the record holder with 1,611, making it only a matter of time until James has the title all to himself.

And then midway through the third quarter, James reached more rarified air. Already the league's all-time leading scorer, James hit 43,000 career points.

LeBron gets to 43K points with the left https://t.co/09d0AQ2O5u pic.twitter.com/7JpzBTGHjr
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2026

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in attendance for Pat Riley's statue unveiling, is the next closest to James on the all-time scoring list with 38,387.

James' efforts weren't enough on Sunday

For his efforts in the game itself, James put up 20 points in 34 minutes while converting 9-of-21 shots from the field. He also added four rebounds and five assists. James is now averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 boards and 7.1 assists per game this season, his lowest marks in years and his lowest scoring average since his rookie season in 2003-04.

LeBron James greets Pat Riley following his Lakers statue reveal! pic.twitter.com/ndXEAjWCda
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2026

But a day full of celebrating the Lakers' rich "Showtime" past and James' full body of work, Los Angeles fans left the arena unsatisfied with the current team.

After the loss, the Lakers are now 34-22 and in sixth in the Western Conference standings, just one spot above falling to the play-in territory of the postseason.

James will go down as the most accomplished player in basketball history

In addition to his accomplishments from Sunday, James' resume is highlighted by being a 22-time All-Star, a 13-time First Team All-NBA selection, a four-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA Finals MVP and a four-time league MVP.

The question now becomes how much longer James will keep playing to add to his legacy and will another season of "the King" take place in Los Angeles, or will he wrap up his illustrious playing career elsewhere?

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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