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Lakers’ LeBron James during a game against the Dallas Mavericks in February 2026
It was another memorable night for Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James on Thursday as he added yet another historic achievement to his resume.
In the Lakers’ 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, James recorded a 28-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double and once again commanded the spotlight.
At 41 years and 44 days old, he became the oldest player in NBA history to post a triple-double, surpassing the previous record held by Karl Malone.
It was simply the latest example of James continuing to defy father time while performing at an elite level deep into his career.
Lakers’ LeBron James Continues to Embrace the Moment
Even in his record-setting 23rd NBA season, James appears to be enjoying the game as much as ever.
Retirement speculation has followed him for years, but the conversation has intensified this season.
Questions have persisted about whether he could walk away after the 2025-26 campaign, embark on a farewell tour, or even finish his career elsewhere.
The uncertainty has only grown amid a turbulent Lakers season and reports of internal tension, yet James has largely remained tight-lipped on the subject.
Following his historic performance against Dallas, the topic surfaced again, and the Lakers superstar responded with his usual light-hearted perspective.
“I’m a goofy-ass 41-year-old kid. That’s just me. They pay me to play basketball. Why wouldn’t I be happy about that?” James told reporters, via BasketNews.
“I get to be with my son and my teammates and all these unbelievable fans. They’ve watched me throughout my career, and they give me all the support and love. I enjoy what I do.”
Passion Remains the Driving Force
Despite missing the start of the season due to injury and easing back into rhythm, James is averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 50.2% from the field and 30.5% from three-point range across 36 games.
His play continues to suggest he remains capable of performing at a high level, something reinforced by his latest triple-double.
When asked how much longer he believes he can sustain this level of play, James pointed not to skill decline, but to passion.
“Could I? Yeah, I could. But I don’t know. My game is not going anywhere,” James added. “It’s just my body. There’s so many more factors that come with ‘how long will I play the game?’ I don’t think my game will ever suffer if I decide to continue to go, however long that is.
“You know, how long can I stay in love with the process? Because that’s always been my thing. If I can’t continue to stay in love with the process, then if this goes, then my body’s gonna go. And once my body goes, then it’s a wrap. Then the love goes, and then the fun and all that stuff goes. So that’s what it is. It’s not like my game is deteriorating or whatever the case may be.”
With the victory, the Lakers improved to 33-21 on the season after snapping a two-game skid.
They remain fifth in a tightly packed Western Conference, sitting just half a game behind the Houston Rockets in fourth and 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets in third, while also only 1.5 games ahead of the seventh-place Phoenix Suns in the play-in picture.
Matt Evans is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans
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