LeBron James made history Sunday night, becoming the second NBA player to ever score 38,000 career points. The Lakers star is now just 363 points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record. The achievement was mired by a 113-112 loss to the 76ers, however, giving Los Angeles a 19-24 record on the season.
A 35-point performance for James on a record-breaking night was the lone bright spot in an otherwise frustrating game for the Lakers. With possession in the closing seconds, coach Darvin Ham decided not to use a timeout and Russell Westbrook, who scored a triple-double in the contest, missed a contested layup at the buzzer. James was visibly frustrated walking off the court and offered very little explanation after the game.
“We got a stop and gave ourselves and chance to win the game and we didn’t,” James told reporters.
James’ frustrations with the team have persisted for some time, as Los Angeles has lost a number of close games this season and has a losing record despite a talented roster. The team’s star has played at an elite level all season, scoring 29.2 points per game, but it hasn’t been enough to make a difference.
Anthony Davis’ injury in December has hurt the team to an extent, but even with a star forward on the floor, the Lakers still haven’t emerged as a serious contender yet this season. After Los Angeles missed the playoffs last year, James publicly vowed that he would never miss the postseason again. His team is currently 13th in the Western Conference standings.
James is at a point in his career where career milestones are becoming more and more frequent, but he hasn’t been able to enjoy many of them as the players around him struggle to contribute. It’s his first taste of mediocrity since his earliest days as a rookie on the Cavaliers, and it all seems to be completely out of his control.
