Watch: LeBron James hits big 3 to become first NBA player to reach 39,000 points, passes Vince Carter on all-time 3-point list
LeBron James of the LA Lakers made history on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. James became the first player in NBA history to score 39,000 points and also passed Vince Carter to move to seventh in the all-time 3-point list.
"The King" needed just five points to reach the 39,000-point mark heading into the matchup with the Jazz. He started the scoring for the Lakers by catching an alley-oop pass from D'Angelo Russell before dunking the ball with authority. He then made a couple of free throws around the seven-minute mark.
With the Lakers up by a point, James received a nice pass and screen from Anthony Davis. He was free near the elbow and made the 3-point shot to make history as the first player to reach 39,000 points.
Here's the video of the play:
LeBron James also passed Vince Carter in the NBA's all-time 3-point list with his 2,291st make from beyond the arc and now sits at No. 7. It's another great accomplishment for James, who was not really known as a shooter for most of his career.
The two-time MVP is just behind some of the greatest shooters the game has ever seen, like Steph Curry, Ray Allen, James Harden, Reggie Miller, Kyle Korver and Damian Lillard. However, he has the lowest 3-point percentage among the players mentioned at just 34.5%.
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LeBron James credits practice and good health for historic shooting start to season
LeBron James is shooting a career-high 58.6% from the field this season, which is impressive for someone in Year 21. James is also shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc this season, which is the second-highest of his career.
In a recent interview with ESPN, James credited practice and being healthy as the secret to his shooting this season. His ability to go head-to-head with Father Time and keep him at bay is impressive:
"I have been able to be on the court a lot more during off days this year because of past injuries the last couple years with my foot or whatever the case may be," James said.
"So to be able to hone in on everything that I need to do instead of having to get off my foot, unless we're playing games has allowed me to stay in rhythm. I got my bounce back, my spring back, my quick twitch back and things of that nature."
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