LeBron James becomes first NBA player with 40,000 points

LeBron James, a 39-year-old superstar, scored nine points against reigning champion Denver on Saturday to become the first player in NBA history to exceed 40,000 career points in the regular season.

However, the historic effort was in vain as Nikola Jokic scored 35 points in the closing minutes to help the Nuggets defeat the Lakers 124-114, extending their winning streak to six games.

James is the oldest active player in the NBA, having turned 21 this season. He is also a four-time NBA champion, four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the record for most points scored in the NBA little over a year ago. James came within two points of the milestone with a layup 14 seconds into the second quarter, but he missed a free throw and a three-pointer on the following Laker possession after scoring five points in the first.

With 10:39 left in the second quarter, James made history by driving in a layup from the left side of the hoop to give the Lakers a 37-32 lead.

James made the basket, to a standing ovation from the audience. James added a layup late in the quarter to help the Lakers take a 66-58 lead at the half after the ball that he used to score the milestone basket was taken out of the game.

Six minutes into the first quarter, James made his first basket of the game, a fast break layup that gave the Lakers an 18–12 lead. Sixty-three seconds later, he added a 3-pointer from the left corner, extending the lead to 23–14.