LeBron James: An ‘honor’ to be third NBA player to reach 35,000 career points
LeBron James on Thursday became only the third — and youngest — player in NBA history to reach 35,000 points in their career, and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar described the remarkable achievement as an “honor.”
James notched his 35,000th career point on a free throw late in the second quarter of Thursday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center.
With this free throw, LeBron James becomes the 3rd player in NBA history to reach 35,000 career points, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone!
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021
Watch on TNT pic.twitter.com/UWaz1fnqFn
The moment he reached 35,000 pic.twitter.com/DfeCMJabtr
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 19, 2021
James finished the Lakers’ 109-98 loss to the Nets with 35,017 points — 1,911 behind Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone (36,928) and 3,370 behind fellow Laker icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387).
Accolades unsurprisingly flooded social media as James notched yet another amazing career milestone.
Congrats to @KingJames on becoming the 3rd player in NBA history to reach 35,000 career points, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone! pic.twitter.com/F1JnPHq5se
— NBA (@NBA) February 19, 2021
LeBron becomes the third player in NBA history to score 35K career points
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 19, 2021
He's the only one in the 35/9/9 club pic.twitter.com/dHqQBGDR0g
The third player to ever reach the 35,000 Point Club. The fastest to ever get there.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 19, 2021
Here's to you, @KingJames pic.twitter.com/iC2Tpif7Rq
After the game, a humbled James addressed the latest achievement — of which there have been many — in a career that stands without question as one of the greatest in the long, storied history of the NBA.
"We just didn't play to our capabilities tonight. Give them credit." @KingJames on tonight's loss and becoming the third player to ever reach 35,000 career points. pic.twitter.com/1Bv0NekWOX
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 19, 2021
“For me to be linked with some of the greatest to have played this game is an honor,” James told reporters after the game, per CNN.
“I’ve always just wanted to go out there and play the game the right way, inspire my teammates, inspire people that watch me and just try to be as good as I can be every single night and not really put a ceiling on my ability or put a ceiling on what I can do.”
James, 36, somehow continues to defy Father Time now in his 18th NBA season. Earlier this month, the Lakers superstar explained how he continues to not only thrive at his age, but dominate a league that is and always has been a younger man’s game.
