Starting 5, Dec. 30: Honoring LeBron James on his 40th birthday and his storied career

40 trips around the sun.

22 seasons in the league.

1 timeless legacy.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION

Dec. 30, 2024

The King Turns 40: How the kid from Akron carved out a career unlike any other

Defying Father Time: LeBron’s unmatched longevity and unparalleled resume

Frames To 40: Some iconic snapshots that define LeBron’s storied career

Sunday Statement: OKC remains red-hot in best of West battle and more from Sunday

Monday Matchups: An OT rematch and two must-see showdowns in Cali

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Sunday’s scores & Monday’s slate…

Seven games get underway tonight, including a doubleheader on NBA TV. First, the Knicks will look to earn their eighth straight win as they face the Wizards (7 ET). Then, De’Aaron Fox and the Kings host Kyrie Irving and the Mavs (10 ET).

NBA All-Star voting is open! Decide who takes the court by casting your vote for starters every day until Jan. 20 on the NBA App or NBA.com with your NBA ID. Don’t miss your chance — tap to vote now.

Countdown To 2025: The New Year’s almost here, and we’re counting down the top 100 plays of the last 25 years. Start the thread of plays 50-31 here.

ICYMI: On Sunday, the Lakers agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three future second-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Tap here for more details.

1. LEBRON TURNS 40: CELEBRATING A LEGENDARY CAREER

On Oct. 29, 2003, LeBron James made his NBA debut at 18 years old.

When James first stepped onto an NBA court, he wasn’t just the youngest player on the floor; he was one of the most-anticipated prospects in league history.

More than 21 years later, the kid from Akron, dubbed “The Chosen One” as a teenager, hasn’t just lived up to the hype — he’s exceeded it, cementing his place as one of the greatest players of all time.

And today, as James — now the oldest player in the NBA — celebrates his 40th birthday, we’re celebrating his journey from phenom to legend.

With each passing year, LeBron’s resume has grown even more extraordinary — from Kia Rookie of the Year to four-time Kia MVP, four-time NBA champion, four-time Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP, 20-time All-Star, all-time scoring champion, and much more in between.

Now, in honor of the big 4-0, let’s relive just a few of the countless moments that have defined the King’s 1-of-1 career.

Iconic Plays: A collection of the King’s most unforgettable highlightsLeBron’s First 40: Watch a rookie LeBron earn his first 40-pieceLeBron’s Legacy At 40: Breaking down the numbers behind one of the greatest careers everScoring King: LeBron passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA’s all-time scoring recordBronny Trivia: How well does Bronny James know his dad?40 Questions: How well do you know LeBron? Test your knowledge with 40 trivia questions on the King’s career

2. KING DEFYING FATHER TIME: UNMATCHED LONGEVITY & LEGACY

On Oct. 26, in the third game of his record-tying 22nd NBA season, LeBron James posted a 32-point triple-double to lead the Lakers to a win over the Kings — the same team he faced in his NBA debut exactly 21 years and three days earlier.

“We’ve all been very fortunate to watch his greatness for so long,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick (also 40) after the win. “And the fact that he’s able to keep doing it, it’s actually insane.”

Erik Spoelstra, who won two NBA titles with James in Miami, offered his own insight into LeBron’s longevity before the Lakers and Heat met in early December.

“The details of winning matter to him,” said Spoelstra. “I just wish that I could have had all of our young players watch him in the team meetings, every locker room and film session…“And LeBron is not fatigued at all in terms of preparation and being involved and all of that, noticing things on film and being an active participant in that. And you want young players to see that.”

James will be the 49th instance of a player aged 40+ to play in at least one game in a season. Of those previous 48 instances, only eight saw a player average 10+ ppg. James enters his 40th birthday averaging 23.5 ppg this season.

At 40 years old, LeBron has spent over half of his life in the NBA, building a resume unlike any other in the 79-year history of the league.

That includes, across the regular season and postseason, 1,807 games played, 69,434 minutes, 49,293 points and 1,167 wins — but who’s counting?

Below are more mind-blowing numbers on the King’s legendary career.

Records

Scoring King: LeBron isn’t just the only player to score 40,000 career points, he’s also the youngest player to reach every 10,000-point milestone — from 10k to 20k to 30k and 40kIron Throne: Only six players are within 10,000 points of LeBron’s scoring record (41,131) — all of whom are retiredPlayoff Leader: LeBron also ranks first in total Playoff points with 8,162 — 2,175 more than the next closest player (Michael Jordan: 5,987)Coast-To-Coast: LeBron is the only player in NBA history to score 10,000+ points with three different franchisesUnprecedented Playmaker: With the fourth-most assists in NBA history (11,261), LeBron is the only player ranked in the top 10 in both all-time scoring and assists

Longevity

Relentless: LeBron has averaged 25+ ppg for an NBA-record 20 straight seasonsStart To Finish: James is the youngest (20) and oldest (39) player to average 25+ ppg in a seasonConsistent King: LeBron has scored 20+ points in an NBA record 1,254 games, and he’s averaged 20+ points in all 21 seasonsAll-Time Creator: James has assisted 183 different players and created 31,306 points off assists in his career. For perspective, that would be the eighth-most points by any player in NBA historyElite Efficiency: Throughout his career (reg. season + postseason), James has 49,293 points in 69,434 minutes, which means he’s scored 0.71 points per minuteFloor General: James has shared the floor with 1,781 different players over his NBA career – approximately 33.8% of all players in NBA history

At 40, LeBron’s not just defying age — he’s redefining it.

3. LEBRON’S ROAD TO 40 IN PHOTOS

Through 21+ seasons, countless records and consistent excellence, James’ NBA journey is filled with iconic moments. Below are just a few snapshots that help define his storied career.

Stay tuned for the full, 40-iconic-photo look-back at Bron’s career so far, dropping today in the NBA App & @NBA social.

4. SUNDAY RECAP: STREAKING OKC MAKES STATEMENT & MORE

In a battle between the top two seeds in the West, the first-place Thunder delivered an emphatic dub to remain red-hot.

Thunder 130, Grizzlies 106: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went off for 35 points on 14-of-19 shooting, along with six boards and seven dimes, as OKC took a 76-50 lead into the half and never looked back for its 11th straight win. | Recap

Rolling Thunder: It’s the Thunder’s second-longest single-season win streak since moving to OKC, trailing only a 12-game run in 2012-13

Pacers 123, Celtics 114: Tyrese Haliburton had himself a day (31 pts, 7 ast) as Indy pulled away from Jaylen Brown (31 pts, 6 ast) and the C’s at TD Garden to avenge Friday’s loss in the same building. | Recap

Wolves 112, Spurs 110: Victor Wembanyama dropped a game-high 34 points, while Chris Paul added a season-high 14 dimes. But the Wolves held on for their third straight win thanks to some clutch buckets from Donte DiVincenzo (26 pts). | Recap

Eight days after the Magic erased a 25-point deficit to beat the Heat — marking their largest comeback in the play-by-play era — Orlando rallied again.

Magic 102, Nets 101: After trailing by as many as 21 in the 3rd quarter, the Magic closed the game on a 22-4 run, capped by Cole Anthony’s game-winning runner with 1.3 seconds left to lift Orlando over Brooklyn. | Recap

Hawks 136, Raptors 107: Trae Young cooked up a massive double-double (34 pts, 10 ast), and the Hawks tallied 22 steals — the most by any team in a game this season — as Atlanta notched its fourth win in a row. | Recap

Heat 104, Rockets 100: Tyler Herro went for 27 pts & 9 ast and the Heat closed the game on a 19-8 run to edge out Alperen Sengun (18 pts, 18 reb) and the Rockets. | Recap

5. TONIGHT: SCORING GUARDS TAKE CENTER STAGE ON NBA TV

Seven matchups tip off tonight, including a doubleheader on NBA TV featuring two stars coming off season-high scoring performances.

Knicks at Wizards (7 ET, NBA TV): On Saturday, Jalen Brunson dropped a season-high 55 points to power the Knicks past the Wizards in OT, marking New York’s seventh straight dub. On Monday, the two sides will meet again in Washington.

Standing Alone: Brunson added nine assists in the win for his second 55+ point, 5+ assist game with the Knicks — the most in franchise historyBallin’ On Both Ends: Amid the Knicks’ win streak, they rank second in FG% (50.2) and third in both OffRtg (119.4) and DefRtg (106.9)Champagnie Shines: In Saturday’s loss, Washington’s Justin Champagnie (31 pts, 10 reb, 5 3s) became the second player in NBA history to record such a stat line while shooting 85% or better from the floor

Mavericks at Kings (10 ET, NBA TV): While Brunson went for 55 on Saturday, Kyrie Irving went for 46 — but the Mavs couldn’t edge out the Blazers.

Tonight, they’ll look to bounce back against De’Aaron Fox and the Kings, who are also seeking a timely win under interim head coach Doug Christie.

Up & Down: After winning seven straight games, Dallas has gone 4-4 in its last eight and has been without Luka Dončić since he went down on Christmas Day with a calf injuryKyrie Steps Up: In the last three games without Dončić, including the #NBAXmas matchup, Irving has averaged 35.0 points — the most in the NBA in that spanSac Slide: On the other side, De’Aaron Fox has averaged 26.0 ppg in the Kings’ last three outings, but Sacramento has dropped six in a row

Five more games get underway tonight on League Pass, including a matchup between the NBA-best Cavs and Steph Curry’s Warriors in the Bay (10 ET).

Bulls at Hornets (7 ET)Clippers at Pelicans (8 ET)Nuggets at Jazz (9 ET)76ers at Blazers (10 ET)