LeBron James made NBA history on Tuesday as he became the first player to feature as a teenager and past the age of 40 as the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers fell to a 122-110 loss, with James scoring 23 points at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers are now 18-14 this season, while the Cavaliers recorded an eighth straight win to go 29-4.
James, who turned 40 on 30 December, made his NBA debut at the age of 18 in 2003 for Cleveland after being first pick in the draft.
The forward, widely regarded as one of the finest players in basketball history, is currently in his 22nd season in the NBA, a record he shares with the now retired Vince Carter.
In that time, James has won four NBA Championships, been named Most Valuable Player four times and is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
He also holds the record for for minutes played, is fourth on the all-time assist list, holds the longest streak of consecutive games in which he has scored at least 10 points (1512) and, in October of this year, became the first man to play alongside his son, Bronny.
In the summer, James helped the United States to a fifth straight Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
THIS IS 40.
Vote Bron to All-Star: https://t.co/qIYjpYxOPH pic.twitter.com/eStnmlY5Tw
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 1, 2025
A round-up of Tuesday’s action
With their victory over the Lakers, the Cavs remain at the summit of the Eastern Conference, with the Lakers currently seventh in the West.
Elsewhere, Oklahoma City Thunder remain top of the Western Conference after they picked up a 113-105 home victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to mark their 12th straight win.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and five assists as the Milwaukee Bucks’ came back to claim victory over the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks were 19 points adrift late in the third quarter but went on to triumph 120-112.
The Toronto Raptors fell to an 11th successive defeat following a 125-71 thrashing at the hands of the Boston Celtics, while the San Antonio Spurs ran out comfortable 122-86 winners against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Memphis Grizzlies were also victorious, recording a 117-112 win over the Phoenix Suns, who have now lost six of their past seven matches.
