"Unbelievable Basketball Player once in a lifetime" - Isiah Thomas lauds LeBron James after he becomes the only member of a unique stat club
LA Lakers superstar LeBron James broke the record of records Sunday. He became the first NBA player to have 10,000 assists and 10,000 rebounds with 30,000 or more points.
James, 37, has 36,824 points, 10,004 assists and 10,150 rebounds.
Isiah Thomas, a two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star with the Detroit Pistons, praised the King on Monday:
Unbelievable Basketball Player once in a lifetime @KingJames Let it be Known twitter.com/statmuse/statu…
Although the combination might seem contrived, this particular stat becomes a lot more impressive if the points are removed.
James, in his 19th season, is the only NBA player with 10,000-plus assists and 10,000-plus rebounds. Jason Kidd is behind him as the only other NBA player with at 8,000-plus assists and 8,000-plus rebounds. Kidd finished his 19-year career with 17,529 points, 12,091 assists and 8,725 rebounds.
Set points aside. He’s the only guy ever with 10K rebounds & 10K assists.
In fact, the only other guy with even 8K rebounds & 8K assists is Jason Kidd. twitter.com/statmuse/statu…
James went into the game against the Phoenix Suns just two shy of 10,000 assists. He crossed the mark after Carmelo Anthony rattled in a 3-pointer off one of his dimes.
James has set several records this season.
James passed Kareem-Abdul Jabbar for total points in the regular season and playoffs combined.
On Feb. 12, he scored 56 points against the Golden State Warriors. In doing so, he became the only player with at least 50 points in a game before turning 21 and after turning 37. With his 50-point behemoth against the Wizards on Friday, he became the only player over the age of 37 with multiple 50-point games.
He also has the highest scoring average for a player in his 19th season at 29.7 points per game.
The Lakers' decline continues
After falling 140-111 to the Suns, the Lakers (29-38) continued to tread along. They are 8-19 since Jan. 9. With no date for Anthony Davis' return from an ankle injury, they will likely be in the play-in games next month.
Much has been made of the Lakers' disappointing performances this season. The media and fans have played hot potatoes with who or what the culprit is. Is it Russell Westbrook's awful performances, Davis' injuries, lack of defensive prowess or just the fact that the team is too old and uninspired?
With LeBron James putting up career numbers nearly every single night, the Lakers are 2-7 after the All-Star break. James had to score 50 and 56 points in the two wins.
It doesn't take an NBA analyst to realize that continuously relying on LBJ to drop 50 just so that the Lakers win is not a feasible strategy. The way forward, it seems, is to maintain a play-in spot, save Davis for the postseason and rebuild in the offseason.