LeBron James scripts year 21 record but still falls short of Karl Malone’s oldest NBA record
LeBron James has become the first player to record a triple-double in their 21st year in the NBA. The veteran superstar dropped 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers 125-110 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
However, LeBron isn't the oldest player to record a triple-double, as Hall of Famer Karl Malone holds that record. He was 40 years old when he secured a triple-double against the San Antonio Spurs in 2003. Malone was in his 18th season at the time. He ended up playing 19 years in the NBA.
LeBron, 39, is averaging 24.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over his first 10 games of the season. Despite his age, the veteran superstar is still a top-10 player in the NBA. The Lakers are 6-6 on their season.
There have been encouraging moments for the Purple and Gold this season. Some of the team's younger talent is starting to flourish. Cam Reddish appears to be figuring things out at the NBA level finally and Austin Reaves is making a valuable impact off the bench.
LeBron needs his team's role players to continue improving. The Lakers are aiming to compete for a championship this season. A .500 record after 10 games is a reasonable building block for the season.
LeBron James overtakes Jason Terry on all-time 3-point list
LeBron James also moved ahead of Jason Terry on the all-time three-point list during the game against the Sacramento Kings. The Los Angeles Lakers star hit three of his seven shots from deep, moving him up to eighth all-time and within reach of Vince Carter, who sits seventh.
LeBron has now hit 2283 threes in his career. Carter retired with 2290. LeBron will likely overtake the former All-Star in the coming weeks. However, he will then be tasked with chasing down Damian Lillard, who has 2409 makes and is still in the prime of his career.
Lillard will likely keep some distance from LeBron due to his perimeter-based game and his ability to get hot from the perimeter. Nevertheless, LeBron continues to add to his legacy. He's the NBA's all-time leader in points scored and sits fourth in the all-time assists charts.
LeBron, meanwhile, has made his focus clear. He wants to win another championship. With his career winding down, every milestone is another entry onto his illustrious resume.