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LeBron James continues to defy Father Time, etching his name further into NBA history by becoming the oldest player ever to record a triple-double.
The Los Angeles Lakers star achieved the remarkable feat at 41 years and 44 days old during his team’s dominant 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Deep into his 23rd professional season, James showcased his enduring brilliance, tallying 28 points, 12 assists, and securing his 10th rebound with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
The Crypto.com Arena crowd rose in a standing ovation as he checked out moments later, celebrating his 123rd career triple-double, placing him fifth on the all-time list.
This extraordinary achievement saw James surpass a record held for 22 years by fellow Lakers legend Karl Malone, who was 40 years and 127 days old when he recorded his final triple-double.
Reflecting on the milestone, James expressed a deeper appreciation for such moments at this stage of his illustrious career.
“I guess I’m more appreciative of moments like this in my career, understanding where I’m at, at the later stage of my journey,” James said. “You definitely take it in a little bit more.”
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James says he appreciates his feats more as he continues to defy Father Time (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
While individual statistics and longevity records are not his primary focus, James acknowledges the significance of a triple-double as a testament to his consistently high level of play.
Despite missing 18 games this season due to injury, James emphatically proved that he remains a major force for the Lakers, who were without their star Luka Doncic due to a hamstring strain.
“I think what it represents is pretty cool — the fact that you can go out and have an impact in three facets of the game,” James explained.
“Rebounding. The assists, obviously, are what I love the most. Being able to get my guys involved, throughout my career I’ve always loved that more than anything.
“And being able to put the ball in the basket, that’s part of this game as well. So I think what it means, to be able to have your hand in three facets of the game, making an impact in those three, that’s pretty cool.”
James’s performance has remained largely outstanding when fit this season, averaging 21.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds coming into the game.
The Lakers remain firmly in the Western Conference playoff hunt, despite only playing ten games with James, Doncic, and Austin Reaves all healthy simultaneously.
His last triple-double before this one had been some time ago, but James was aggressive and active from the outset against Dallas, returning from his own injury absence.
After an energetic pre-game warm-up, he exploded for 14 points and six assists in the first quarter alone, contributing to the Lakers’ first 23 points. By halftime, he had 18 points, eight assists, and four rebounds.
He secured double-digit assists in the third quarter, but it was in the fourth that he finally grabbed the crucial three rebounds needed to complete the triple-double.
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James’ heroics ensured the Lakers did not miss the injured Luka Doncic (Getty Images)
He nearly achieved it earlier, but teammate Austin Reaves beat him to a board, much to the amusement and vocal disapproval of the rest of the Lakers bench.
“Everybody on the team yelled at me,” Reaves recounted. “I don’t catch myself looking at the stats during the game, so we went to the bench and everybody let me know about it. He didn’t, but everybody (else), and I looked at him and said, ‘Shoot, my fault.’”
After missing out last year due to injury, James is set to return for the All-Star Game this Sunday at Intuit Dome.
While he is ineligible for his 22nd All-NBA team selection this season due to missed games, including the first 14 while dealing with sciatica, his overall career tally stands at 152 triple-doubles when including playoff performances.