LeBron James turns 40 on Monday, and the Los Angeles Lakers star is becoming a member of a small record of NBA gamers who performed within the league at that age.
A take a look at some statistical milestones for gamers of their 40s in NBA historical past:
Scoring 40 to 40
There has solely been one 40-point recreation by a 40-year-old in NBA historical past. That milestone belongs to Michael Jordan. On February 21, 2003, 4 days after turning 40, Jordan scored 43 factors for Washington in an 89-86 win over New Jersey.
There have solely been seven video games of 30 factors or extra by gamers after turning 40: Jordan has 4, whereas Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Dirk Nowitzki all have one. Those of Abdul-Jabbar and Malone made it to the playoffs.
Triple Double
Like 40-point video games, triple-doubles are extraordinarily uncommon for 40-year-olds, with just one recorded within the league. Malone did it: 10 factors, 11 rebounds, 10 assists for the Lakers in a 103-87 win over San Antonio on Nov. 28, 2003.
Double-doubles are rather more frequent amongst forty-year-olds. There have been 95 over time: John Stockton had 23, Robert Parish 22, Malone 21, Abdul-Jabbar 14, Jordan eight, Dikembe Mutombo 5 and Steve Nash and Nowitzki every had one.
Total factors after 40
James will assessment this record. Not counting Tim Duncan and Danny Schayes – each of whom performed playoff video games of their 40s, however by no means a daily season recreation – there have been 29 gamers to attain within the NBA after their fortieth birthday.
And eight of these gamers – Juwan Howard, Charles Jones, Rick Mahorn, Charles Oakley, Bob Cousy, Jamal Crawford, Nat Hickey and Joe Johnson – scored not more than 21 factors mixed after turning 40. James may beat them multi functional recreation.
Abdul-Jabbar has probably the most factors after turning 40: he scored 1,941. Only he, Robert Parish (1,706), Vince Carter (1,433) and Stockton (1,088) have greater than 1,000 factors at that age.
LeBron will not be the oldest
James is the oldest participant within the NBA proper now, however it’s most likely truthful to say that he will not set the report because the oldest in NBA historical past. He should play one other six years to attain this.
The oldest man to play in an NBA recreation was Nat Hickey, who performed two video games with the Providence Steamrollers on January 27 and 28, 1948. Hickey performed the second of these video games two days earlier than his forty sixth birthday.
He was 0 of 6 from the sphere and a couple of of three from the foul line. In his second recreation, he was charged with 4 fouls in three minutes of play. And he by no means performed once more.
40 within the finals
In the final twenty years there has solely been one participant who performed in an NBA Finals recreation when he was 40 years outdated. That can be Miami’s Udonis Haslem, two days shy of turning 43 when he performed in a Heat recreation within the 2023 title sequence towards Denver.
Before him, the final forty-year-old to succeed in the ultimate was Malone in 2004.
A traditional night time
A participant’s common recreation as soon as he turns 40: 6.6 factors, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. It needs to be a regular that James exceeds each night time. His recreation averages as a 30-year-old: 26.5 factors, 8.0 rebounds, 8.1 assists.
Who will likely be subsequent?
After James, the subsequent NBA participant to show 40 will likely be San Antonio’s Chris Paul, who will attain the milestone on May 6. He ought to doubtless be a part of a second-round playoff run to play 40 this season.
Charlotte’s Taj Gibson turns 40 on June 24, so he’s anticipated to return subsequent season to play at that age.
Next up from there can be Philadelphia’s Kyle Lowry, who turns 40 on March 25, 2026, and would play at that age if he returns for a twentieth 12 months subsequent season.
Associated Press reporting.
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