LeBron James delivered another 30-point performance to surpass his idol, Michael Jordan, and become the all-time leader with a total of 563 30-point games in the NBA. In the Lakers’ 119-102 lopsided victory against the Atlanta Hawks, James tallied 30 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, along with 3 rebounds and 8 assists.
Meanwhile, Lakers center Anthony Davis didn’t miss the opportunity to commemorate this historic milestone by pulling LeBron James’ leg. In a post-game locker room interview, Davis teased the King for supposedly being behind schedule, humorously pointing out that it took James seven more seasons and significantly more games to achieve this feat.
“It bothers me but took him 7 more seasons [sarcastically].……Obviously hell of an accomplishment. He [LeBron James] is probably number one in everything at this point” AD on James breaking Michael Jordan’s record.
Anthony Davis razzes LeBron James for passing Michael Jordan for the most career 30-point games in NBA history: “… It took him seven more seasons” pic.twitter.com/OJhoeqI8y6
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 4, 2025
Prior to the record being broken, Charles Barkley also pointed towards James’ position behind Jordan in the total number of 30-point games, despite playing far more minutes than the latter. However, little did Barkley consider that James has been shattering numerous records as of late. From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for the most points in league history to Michael Jordan’s record for the most 30-point games, James seems to be eyeing it all before he bids his final adieu.
Despite continuing to produce at an elite level, LeBron James has faced criticism from several directions since turning 40. Notably, Charles Barkley recently took subtle shots at James and Lakers’ head coach, JJ Redick, accusing them of attempting to change the direction of the prestige organization with “that same ugly girl!”
LeBron James after eclipsing Michael Jordan: “Just two masters of their craft”
LeBron Raymone James has modeled much of his playing style after his basketball hero, Michael Jordan. A famous photograph of LeBron meeting Jordan for the first time in high school perfectly captures James’ journey from admiration to eventual ascension as he surpassed his idol’s achievements. His admiration for Jordan is evident, even in his choice of jersey number, 23.
When reporters congratulated James on his milestone and asked why he chose a fadeaway jumper to outshine his idol, he responded:
“Arguably one of the greatest to ever play the game. Someone I’ve idolized, you know, in my childhood. I wear 23 because of him… Whatever it is, you mention MJ, it’s super-duper dope to me. He [Michael Jordan] was more of a left-shoulder fadeaway guy. I kinda went the opposite way, but ah, just two masters of their craft,” James said about Michael Jordan.
LeBron James speaks about passing Michael Jordan in career 30-point games and doing it on a fadeaway jumper: “Just two masters of their craft” pic.twitter.com/MZ88uQv2qx
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 4, 2025
James explained that while his hero’s remarkable fadeaway shot favored the left side, he deliberately developed his own signature move from the right, adding his unique stamp to it. He spoke highly of Jordan, emphasizing how meaningful it is to be mentioned alongside him in the same statistics and sentences.
At the age of 40, LeBron James remains one of the league’s top scorers, averaging 24.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game. Alongside Anthony Davis, he plays a critical role in keeping the Lakers’ playoff hopes alive this season. If James can maintain his health, he has the potential to break many more records in the coming years.
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