LeBron James marked his return from injury with a win on Tuesday night, as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers triumph 140-125 over the Utah Jazz.
‘King’ James had been sidelined for the Lakers’ opening 14 games of the season after developing sciatica but made his return for the clash at the Crypto.com Arena.
Though it wasn’t a vintage LeBron display – which is understandable given his recent injury – the 40-year-old star still produced 11 points, 12 assists and three rebounds.
By making his return to the court on Tuesday, James set an NBA record for the most seasons played, 23, surpassing the record held by Vince Carter.
During the game, James also moved up to sixth in the NBA’s all-time 3-pointers list, surpassing Reggie Miller.
Elsewhere on the night, Luka Doncic produced a stunning 37 points, as well as 10 assists and five rebounds, in yet another stunning performance for the Slovenian star.
LeBron James marked his return from injury with a win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night
James had been sidelined for the Lakers’ opening 14 games after developing sciatica
James, who had never before missed a season opener, returned to contact basketball activity last week before participating in his first Lakers practice of the new season Monday.
About 30 minutes before tipoff, the team confirmed James would start for the 1,561st time in his 1,563rd regular-season games. He got a loud ovation when he was announced first in the Lakers´ starting lineup.
James said Monday that his body isn’t in ideal game shape, but he was eager to get started on his latest milestone achievement in a career packed with distinction.
With this debut, James is now just 48 games behind Parish’s NBA record for regular-season games played (1,611).
James already holds another NBA record with 1,855 regular-season and playoff games combined – 58 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – along with the record for most total minutes played.
James has repeatedly said he isn´t assuming this season will be his last, but he also hasn’t decided whether he´ll play another year.
By making his return to the court, James set an NBA record for the most seasons played
His most recent offseason was injury-plagued, with two months of recovery after spraining his knee ligament during the Lakers’ first-round playoff loss to Minnesota followed by a painful bout of sciatica – pain in the nerves running from the buttocks and down the back of the legs.
James became the top scorer in NBA history in February 2023. Last March, he became the first NBA player to put up 50,000 total points in the regular season and playoffs combined.
James is a four-time NBA champion, winning the NBA Finals MVP award each time. He has four league MVP awards and 21 All-Star selections.
His career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in October 2003, a year before the birth of his oldest son and current Lakers teammate, Bronny James.
