Age ain’t nothin’ but a number, but if you combine 23 years and 59 days with 10,000 points then age becomes the measure of a legend.
LeBron James is unstoppable in all senses of the word. What he wants is what he gets. If he wants 30 points he’ll get it. If he wants to drop a quick 15 footer, count it. If he drives the lane, only the foolish challenge him. When he’s on the court he holds court. Like a good young king should. Age has very little to do with it.
In all, it took 368 games to seal the deal, the ninth-fastest in the history of the league. And he did it in style, with a vicious left handed dunk off the fast break on the head of Boston’s new big shot. You couldn’t have scripted it. And all this after he left the game in the first half after sustaining an ankle injury while scoring on another Boston player.
This new milestone should come as no surprise to anyone. Since he joined the league LeBron’s been the youngest overachiever in the game. In his short career he has been the youngest player to:
- be selected #1 overall (June 26, 2003)
- score 30 points in a game (Nov. 29, 2003 vs. Memphis)
- score 40 points in a game (19 years, 88 days old; March 27, 2004 vs. New Jersey)
- score 50 points in a game (20 years, 80 days old; March 20, 2005 vs. Toronto)
- lead his team in points per game (2003-04)
- win NBA Rookie of the Year (2003-04)
- score 1,000 career points (Feb. 9, 2004 vs. Boston)
- score 2,000 career points (Nov. 27, 2004 vs. Chicago)
- score 2,000 points in a single season (2004-05)
- score 3,000 career points (March 2, 2005 vs. Seattle)
- score 4,000 career points (Nov. 18, 2005 vs. Orlando)
- score 5,000 career points (Jan. 21 2005 vs. Utah)
- score 6,000 career points (March 29, 2006 vs. Dallas)
- score 7,000 career points (Dec. 23, 2006 vs. Orlando)
- score career 8,000 points (March 14, 2007 vs. Memphis)
- record a triple-double (20 years, 20 days old; Jan. 19, 2005 vs. Portland) with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists
- to be awarded the All-Star MVP title (21 years, 55 days old; Feb. 19, 2006 vs. Houston)
- be selected First-Team All-NBA (21 years, 138 days old)
- average at least 30 points per game in a season (2005-06)
- be named All-NBA Second Team becoming the youngest player in league history to be awarded All-NBA honors;
- reach career numbers of 3,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, the second-fastest behind Oscar Robertson
And for good measure he was also the second youngest player in NBA history to post a playoff triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Washington (and only the third player ever to post a triple-double in his playoff debut).
Just keep watching. There will be more.
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