"You were throwing that off the glass for me?" – Carmelo Anthony trolls LeBron James as Melo hits jumper after miscued shot
The LA Lakers have struggled throughout the NBA season despite LeBron James' brilliance. He leads the league in 30-point games, but the Lakers are one game under .500.
On Tuesday night at the Houston Rockets, the Lakers snapped a five-game skid with a 132-123 victory. During the victory, there was a shocking play that prompted a reaction from Anthony.
With under eight minutes left in the game, James stole the ball and attempted a layup off the glass but was way off. Carmelo Anthony picked up the loose ball and nailed a jumper from the low post.
On Twitter, Melo jokingly questioned LeBron if the miss was really an alley-oop attempt:
"You were throwing that off the glass for me @KingJames? I appreciate the confidence!"
You were throwing that off the glass for me @KingJames? I appreciate the confidence! https://t.co/wk4gciSusj
Although James continues to attack the rim with ferocity, Melo does not have that spring in his step anymore. Anthony, also in his 19th year, has settled for 3-pointers and post-up plays on occasion but has steered clear off the rim.
James and Anthony are longtime friends. They were in the same draft class, with James selected with the first pick and Anthony picked third in 2003. However, both never had an opportunity to play together until this season.
With Los Angeles restructuring in the offseason, Melo joined James in Los Angeles in search of his first title. The two have not shown great chemistry yet, but have been getting it done individually.
LeBron James is the youngest player to reach 36,000 points
LeBron James registered his third triple-double of the season with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in the win. His free throws with 35 seconds left in the game made him the youngest player to reach 36,000 career points.
James, in his 19th season, has 36,001 career points. Karl Malone, who retired in 2004 after 19 seasons, is second on the all-time scoring list at 36,928 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who retired in 1989, is the record-holder at 38,387 points in his 20 seasons.
Although he needs 928 points to surpass Malone, James could achieve that this season if he stays healthy and maintains his average of 27.7 points per game. In league history, James has been the youngest player at every 1,000 points.
LeBron James reached 36K points on Tuesday. He's the youngest to reach every round number milestone in points: 1K, 2K, 3K, 4K, 5K, 6K, 7K, 8K, 9K, 10K, 11K, 12K, 13K, 14K, 15K, 16K, 17K, 18K, 19K, 20K, 21K, 22K, 23K, 24K, 25K, 26K, 27K, 28K, 29K, 30K, 31K, 32K, 33K, 34K, 35K, 36K https://t.co/ZIVZZcjGXZ
James' longevity has been a significant factor in his career success. Adding to his scoring achievements, he is also the third player to rank in the top 100 in assists, blocks, rebounds, steals and 3-pointers.
The Lakers (17-18), who visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, have been underwhelming, but that is no fault of James. Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe believes LeBron has lost his ability to carry players along, an attribute that has drawn praise for James over the years.
In his 23 games this season, James is averaging 27.6 points, 0.1 points behind Stephen Curry and 2.1 points behind leading scorer Kevin Durant. Added to that are 7.0 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Considering the volume, he is also doing a decent job from the arc, averaging 35.3% on 7.5 attempts per game.