3 notable records LeBron James achieved after Lakers thrilling win over Rockets
On Sunday night, LeBron James and the LA Lakers found themselves in a tight game with the Houston Rockets. Thanks to another strong showing from the star forward, they were able to come away with a 105-104 victory.
Despite being in his 21st season, LeBron James continues to be an influential player in the NBA. He played 39 minutes against the Rockets, and finished with a stat line of 37 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Along with leading his team to victory that night, LeBron also secured multiple achievements with his performance. Here are some of the records he broke during Sunday's game.
Records LeBron James achieved vs. Houston Rockets
1) Climbing up the all-time steals ranks
Last season, LeBron James broke the record for most points scored in NBA history. As his historic career continues, he is climbing up the all-time ranks in a number of statistical categories.
With his three steals against the Houston Rockets, LeBron now sits eighth all time. He passed Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler with 2,208. Currently, the top spot belongs to John Stockton with 3,265.
Aside from LeBron, the only current player in the top ten all time in steals in Chris Paul. He is No. 3 with with 2,567.
2) Most points scored in year 21
This year, LeBron James became just the sixth player in NBA history to play at least 21 seasons in the league. Other notable names include Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki. While the LA Lakers star isn't the first player to achieve this feat, he is the only one to still be a high-level player after two decades of playing.
With his 37-point barrage, LeBron set the record for most points scored by a player in year 21. He holds 10 of the top 11 spots in this category. Nowitzki's name makes an appearance on this list with a 30-point game of his own.
In year 21, LeBron is averaging 26.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists through his first 13 games.
3) 1,000+ clutch shots made
13 of LeBron's 37 points came in the fourth quarter against the Rockets. Since the score was close down the stretch, the 19-time All-Star made history with his clutch scoring.
On Sunday, LeBron became the first player in NBA history to record 1,000+ made clutch shots. His final point came in the closing seconds when he hit a free-throw to put the Lakers up by one. Dillon Brooks was able to get a shot off as time expired, but couldn't get it to go.