One point shy of becoming the NBA’s first-ever to cross the 50,000-point career scoring barrier, LeBron James stepped to March 4, 2025’s stage prepared to do what he often does: break records, and add a bit more on top. Unnoticed from across the floor as teammates work a pick-and-roll that occupies the New Orleans Pelicans’ weakside defenders, James — poetically receiving a pass from a player he’ll someday pass Los Angeles’ “torch” to — preps for a catch-and-shoot. Pairing his new, one-of-a-kind longevity statistic with a fitting long-range bomb to match, James buries a triple, prompting the admiration of the already-aware home crowd. The beauty was, James still had three quarters to add to the historic 50,002-point (regular season plus postseason) tally, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ star did just that during a seventh-straight victory. The final box score included a 34-point, eight-rebound, six-assist, one-steal, two-block masterpiece, bolstered by outstanding efficiency overall (10-of-18), from deep (5-of-10), and from the free throw line (nine-of-nine). Along the way, James joined his new, similarly-transcendent teammate in becoming the Lakers’ first-ever duo to produce a 30-point, five-triple game simultaneously. · Mar 5, 2025