Listing the 3 oldest NBA players to record a 30-point triple-double; Where does LeBron James rank?
NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been making history ever since his debut in the league back in 2003. Arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James has been dubbed a combination of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
A four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP, LeBron has had a success-laden career so far in the NBA and continues to spearhead the title ambitions of the Los Angeles Lakers this season. James has compiled some of the most ridiculous stat lines in the history of the game and has recorded 101 triple-doubles in his career.
King James will be 37 by the end of December and has shown no signs of slowing down performance wise. A testament to this was his performance of having recorded a 30-point triple-double against the Orlando Magic. With that said, we look at the three oldest players to record a 30-point triple-double.
#3. Larry Bird vs the Portland Trail Blazers - 35 years and 99 days old
One of the greatest players of all time, Larry Bird was the corner stone for the Boston Celtics and their success in the 1980s. Bird, along with Magic Johnson, formed one of the greatest rivalries the game has ever seen and catapulted the NBA to a global audience. On March 15th, 1992, the Boston Celtics took on the Portland Trail Blazers and it proved to be a historic night for Larry Bird.
At the age of 35, Larry Bird dropped 49 points, dished out 12 assists and collected 14 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 54% from the field and converting nine of his 10 free throws. The performance resulted in a double-overtime win for the Celtics as Bird and co. defeated Portland 152-148. Bird also recorded 4 steals and 1 block in the game.
#2. Kobe Bryant vs Toronto Raptors - 36 years and 99 days old
During the 2014-15 season, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Toronto Raptors in November. With Kobe Bryant still putting up unbelievable performances, the Lakers were favorites despite having a young squad. Kobe on the night played like a man possessed as the Black Mamba dropped 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 45% from the field and making 9 of his 13 free throws.
Kobe Bryant scored 33,643 career points, fourth most in NBA history.
Bryant capped off his NBA career with the sixth 60-point game of his career (2nd most in NBA history).
At 37 years old, he was more than 5 years older than any other player to score 60 points in a game. https://t.co/dP4IK1602I
It was a brilliant performance from Bryant as the Lakers went on to beat the Toronto Raptors 129-122 in overtime. The likes of Nick Young, Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill had handy contributions behind Bryant's incredible game. Kobe was 36 years and 99 days old when recording this performance for the Lakers.
#1. LeBron James vs Orlando Magic - 36 years and 347 days old
Arguably the best player in the world right now, LeBron James was once again reminding the doubters that he's got the chops to get the job done even at this stage of his career. James dropped the 101st triple-double of his career against the Orlando Magic as the Lakers won the game 106-94.
LeBron James last night:
✅ 30 PTS
✅ 11 REB
✅ 10 AST
James became the oldest player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double (age in years-days):
36-347 - LeBron James (12/12/21)
36-099 - Kobe Bryant (11/30/14)
35-099 - Larry Bird (3/15/92) https://t.co/qp0q7YFUhQ
With Anthony Davis unavailable and the Lakers barely staying afloat above a .500 record in the Western Conference, the onus was on LeBron James to dig his team out of trouble once again. James duly delivered with 30 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 42% from beyond the arc. LeBron James also had 3 blocks in the game.