38 years and 333 days old: LeBron James equals Michael Jordan’s unwanted record after suffering worst loss in NBA career
The LeBron James-led LA Lakers suffered a crushing defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers during their Monday night matchup. From the game's first quarter, the Lakers looked outmatched as they allowed the 76ers to score 32 points while only putting up a measly 19 points.
The Lakers tried to rally back in the next two quarters but couldn't outscore their Eastern Conference opponents in a single quarter. In the fourth quarter, they appeared to have lost all momentum and motivation on both ends, as they surrendered 40 points while only scoring 14. Ultimately, the 76ers prevailed by a whopping 44 points with a final score of 138-94.
This 44-point loss would mark an uncharacteristically low point in LeBron James' career, as it would end up being his worst defeat.
Interestingly, this statistic also adds another point of comparison between James and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Jordan's worst defeat in his career also happened by a margin of 44 points during a game between the Washington Wizards and the New Jersey Nets in January 2002.
But it gets more interesting than this. At the time of the worst defeats in their respective careers, both James and Jordan were 38 years and 333 days old.
The careers of Michael Jordan and LeBron James will always be discussed side by side due to the never-ending GOAT argument. However, this statistic is not something the two athletes or their respective fans will likely debate.
Also read: “Beat the s**t out of us”, “A lot”: Austin Reaves and LeBron James unequivocally react to Lakers record loss.
Comparing LeBron James and Michael Jordan's stats during their respective 44-point losses
Michael Jordan retired for three years before deciding to lace up a pair of sneakers once more as a member of the Washington Wizards in the 2001-02 season.
He was still an effective scorer, averaging 22.9 points per game while also averaging 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists. However, he struggled to get anything going during that fateful day when the Wizards lost by 44. Jordan only scored ten points on a 4 for 14 shooting clip (28%) while also grabbing two rebounds and one assist. He also contributed one steal and one block on the defensive end.
Fast forward to this season, James also continues to put up big numbers. He is averaging 25.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists through the early part of the season.
However, in the game against the 76ers, he only put up 18 points and five assists. He also failed to grab a single rebound, but he did shoot an efficient 8 for 12 from the field (66.7%). Additionally, just like Michael Jordan did back in 2002, LeBron James had a steal and a block to go with his stats.