On March 4, Lebron James became the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career points. James did this by connecting on his first field goal attempt of the game, a 3-pointer from the left wing in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.  

James, now forty-years-old and the oldest player in the league, is not showing any signs of slowing down. James has always been able to score but has become more of a facilitator as he has gotten older. Now that Luka Doncic has joined the Lakers, it is much easier for Lebron to be a second option instead of running the show.  

While scoring 50,000 career points is impressive, what is more impressive is the consistency James has shown throughout his career. He is at the age where many other stars like Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, and his former teammate Dwyane Wade, were receiving farewell tours from their respective teams. Meanwhile Lebron’s points per game has only dropped by two since his MVP campaign in the 2012-13 NBA season. 

This is also the first year since 2005 that James was not in the All-Star Game, this time due to resting. Getting selected extends another one of his records for the most selections in the game and most consecutive selections. He did lose his streak for most consecutive appearances because of his choice to skip the game. 

Many people have gone as far as to divide Lebron’s career into three sections based on the teams he has played on, arguing that each of those three careers would belong in the hall of fame on their own. Now as he chases a second championship to add to that “third career”, many people wonder how long before a farewell tour of his own.  

Featured Image via nba.com