With every passing day, LeBron James seems to etch his name into the history books with one record or the other. On Tuesday night, he added another impressive milestone to his resume, continuing to defy the norms for a 40-year-old basketball player. James edged out Michael Jordan’s partner in crime, Scottie Pippen, to climb the ladder on the all-time steals leaderboard.
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ 111-88 victory over the Washington Wizards, LeBron James recorded 2 steals in a stellar 21 point, 13 assist and 10 rebound triple-double performance. The first of those steals would be James’ 2,308th career steal, allowing him to surpass NBA legend Scottie Pippen for the 7th spot on the NBA’s all-time steals leaderboard.
James’ performance was especially spectacular given his age and the historic nature of his triple double performance. Not only did he edge out Michael Jordan’s defensive commander in chief in the history books, he also became just the second player all-time to record a triple double past the age of 40 in the NBA, joining Karl Malone as the only other.
Congrats to @KingJames of the @Lakers for moving to 7th all-time in STEALS! pic.twitter.com/zVsa4JC4Mb
— NBA (@NBA) January 22, 2025
His historic performances come just a few weeks after the Laker star celebrated his 40th birthday with much fervour. An even more remarkable aspect of LeBron James’ performance perhaps is that not only does he seem impervious to Father Time, but also to jet lag.
Just a day prior to Tuesday’s game, James had travelled to Atlanta to watch his hometown team, the Ohio State Buckeyes, lift the College Football National Championship. Only after that did he head back to Los Angeles to take on the Wizards.
Scottie Pippen reveals controversial pick for GOAT player over LeBron James and Michael Jordan
Scottie Pippen was a menacing defender on the basketball court, but his curveball’s off the court seem to be his star trait. While LeBron James’ accomplishments continue to fuel the GOAT debate, Pippen threw a new curveball into the NBA’s everlasting GOAT discussion. Although most people regard James and Michael Jordan as the top two candidates, Pippen may just prefer his own rival as a preferred pick.
Neither one of them are GOATs. They both won differently. You can’t put them at the top of the pinnacle. Magic Johnson, to me, is a bigger GOAT than anybody. Because of how he led, how he brought a whole team together, how when the greatest scorer in the game, Kareem, wasn’t there, he stepped in as a rookie center and played a position no one even knew he could play.
Scottie Pippen said while speaking on the PBD Podcast
Pippen’s argument centers around leadership and versatility. He primarily focused on Magic Johnson’s ability to unify a team and adapt to different roles set him apart from both Jordan and James.
The reference to Johnson stepping in as a rookie center during the 1980 NBA Finals, leading the Lakers to a championship in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s absence. This is often cited as one of the greatest individual performances in league history.
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