At times during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 133-115 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, it seemed LeBron James was trying to carry his team by himself.
He had another amazing performance, shooting 16-of-29 from the field to score 46 points, that included eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Unfortunately, the rest of the team shot 26-of-66, which was a chilly 39.3%.
The Clippers didn’t let James penetrate and get into the paint that easily, forcing him to take 14 3-pointers. But that didn’t work: He converted nine of them — a big contrast to how things have been going for him in that department this season.
As a result, James became the first player to have at least one 40-point performance against every NBA team.
LeBron James is the 1st player in NBA history with a 40-point game against all 30 franchises. pic.twitter.com/2dkRT4E5xt
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 25, 2023
The only other player to have at least one such game against every team he played against was the late great Kobe Bryant. But James has done so against all 30 teams, since, unlike Bryant, he has played for multiple NBA franchises.
With 40 points tonight, LeBron James has now scored 40 points against every NBA franchise.
LeBron also joins Kobe Bryant as the only players to score 40 points against every NBA team they’ve played against. pic.twitter.com/h8kQFrea84
— The Laker Files (@LakerFiles) January 25, 2023
As with all of James’ statistical accomplishments these days, critics charge that they are virtually meaningless since the Lakers aren’t a good team.
But still, it is a testament to James’ longevity and how diligently he has taken care of his body for years.
