LOS ANGELES (UNITED STATES) (ITALPRESS) – In February 2002, “Sports Illustrated” dedicated its cover to an 18-year-old high school senior who would soon land in the NBA burdening him with no small nickname: “The Choosen One,” the Matrix-derived Chosen One. Twenty-three years later, that boy has become the first player in the world’s most famous league to top 50,000 career points.
Whether or not LeBron James can consider himself the greatest ever is still too early to tell, for sure he has written and continues to write basketball history, heedless of the ID card. The latest page comes from the crypto.com Arena, where in the Lakers’ success over the New Orleans Pelicans, on the first shot attempted – a triple on Luka Doncic’s assist – he crosses the fateful threshold. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have all just witnessed history,” Lawrence Tanter’s announcement during the time-out. Already a record-holder in points in the NBA, LeBron only needed one to cross the 50,000 mark, and he didn’t let it go to waste. At the end of the game – where his son Bronny will also find space in the finale – he will finish with 34 points (as well as 8 rebounds and 6 assists) in the 136-115 victory that gives the Lakers their 17th win in the last 20 games and second place in the West.
“It’s really a lot,” confesses LBJ, 41,871 points in the regular season and 8,162 in the playoffs, “I’m really super lucky to have scored so many points in the best league in the world against the best players in the world over my career. It’s pretty special.” And he is unlikely to stop there since, in the 28 games he has played after blowing out 40 candles, he is traveling at 26.4 points with 54.1 percent from the field, an average similar to the 2012-13 season when he graduated Mvp in a Miami jersey.
But even as James took center stage, the Nba night provided other insights. Indiana wasted away against Houston (90-73 to 95-96) but eventually came out on top 115-102 with a 28-point, 15-assist Tyrese Haliburton, continuing its head-to-head with Milwaukee (127-121 over Atlanta, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s triple-double with 26+12+10) for fourth place in the East. Third remains in the hands of New York, which, however, falls at Madison Square Garden at the hands of Golden State: 114-102, just the second home stop in the last 14 home games. Curry (28 points and 9 assists), Butler and Podziemski (19 points apiece) dragged the Warriors, as of today qualified directly for the playoffs with the last available spot.
Behind, however, Minnesota does not give up, accelerating in the last quarter and getting rid of Philadelphia (126-112, 23 points for Reid and 18 for Edwards), but Phoenix also continues to hope, rising from -23 in its 119-117 success over the Clippers with 34 points by Durant and 17 by Booker. But the league’s best team remains Cleveland, at 51 wins in 61 games: its latest victim is Chicago, beaten 139-117 with 28 points by Mitchell and 25 by Allen. Eleventh consecutive success for the Cavs, who are increasingly masters of the Eastern Conference and engaged in a long-distance duel with OKC (50-11) to finish with the best record of the regular-season and secure the home court factor until the eventual Finals. Rounding out the picture are Toronto’s sprint success over Orlando thanks to Walter’s triple with 0″5 to go at the buzzer (114-113, Banchero’s 41 points not enough for the Magic) and San Antonio’s 127-113 win over Brooklyn with Devin Vassell’s career-best performance (37 points).
-photo Ipa Agency-.
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