There are few players who can get social media buzzing like Los Angeles Lakers’ star LeBron James after a huge performance.
Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened following the Lakers’ 103-99 win against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Social media lit up after LeBron James’ stellar performance during the Lakers’ win against the Kings as he finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals just about one week before his 40th birthday, as per StatMuse.
Fans took to social media to express their amazement at James’ sustained level of excellence on the court despite his age. James became the oldest player to put up those numbers, eclipsing himself as the second oldest player to reach those numbers as he did when he was 37, as per Josh Eberley of HOOP Magazine and NBA Canada.
LeBron James’ longevity, role with Lakers
The Lakers’ game against the Kings on Saturday was only the third game James has played in since returning from a foot injury. He missed two games before making his return against the Memphis Grizzlies last weekend. During that game, James played 34 minutes and put up 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Against the Kings earlier this week, James had 19 points, six rebounds, seven assists and one blocked shot in another Lakers’ win. But this most recent performance was his best yet since returning to the lineup.
Prior to last weekend’s game against the Grizzlies, Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about James’ longevity and what the current plan was in terms of his game management going forward. James will turn 40 years old on Dec. 30.
This past offseason, James chose to use his player option and opt out of his current contract with the Lakers, to sign a two-year contract extension that has another player option after this season. He also has a no-trade clause in his current deal.
James has appeared in 25 games leading up to the recent matchup with the Kings, at just about 35 minutes per game. He had been averaging 22.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists with splits of 48.6 percent shooting from the field, 36.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 74.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Last season, the Lakers reached the playoffs via the play-in, but were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round in five games. They fired Darvin Ham in the offseason and hired Redick as their new head coach. Following the Lakers brief two-game trip to Sacramento, they are 16-12 and in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
