A touching message from one Lakers legend to another.
On Saturday night, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James became the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 career points, and the reactions are pouring in.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson weighed in, sharing a touching message to James on social media:
Congratulations to LeBron James for being the first and only player in NBA history to score 40,000 points! I’m so glad I was here to witness such an incredible feat! @KingJames pic.twitter.com/IdfjsrSLKJ
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 3, 2024
Magic added another message, “I love that I’m here tonight, I got to see when LeBron broke Kareem’s record, and the fact I was the one who passed it to Kareem when he originally set the record! Now we need the Lakers to pull out a victory to make the night even bigger and better for LeBron!”
Unfortunately for Magic, the Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 124-114.
Johnson knows something about Lakers royalty, having headed up the legendary Showtime Lakers of the 1980s that also featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Byron Scott, and more.
NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins shared his own thoughts praising LeBron.
Said Perkins on Los Angeles’ leader, “Get ready to start sculpting the statue for LeBron [James] outside of Crypto Arena… The GOAT!”
Continuing an elite level of play, LeBron is in the midst of by far the best age-39 season ever. He’s averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game on near-elite shooting efficiency, including a career-best 40.8% on three-pointers.
Against the Nuggets, James had 26 points, four rebounds, and nine assists in the loss. The Lakers were tied with Denver headed into the fourth quarter, but the Nuggets outscored Los Angeles 35-25 in the final quarter.
Up next for LeBron and the Lakers: hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
About the Author
Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting “The Pulse with Peter Sampson” in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer’s Edge and XRAY.FM – where his show “Blazer’s Edge Radio” was named “Portland’s Best Sports Radio” in the 2017 Willamette Week reader’s poll. When he’s not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.
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