LeBron James is one of few players in NBA history who can impact a game in a variety of different ways.
And on Friday night, James joined one of the game’s most versatile players in achieving the latest accomplishment of his 17th season.
James scored 35 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and tallied seven assists in the Lakers win over the Dallas Mavericks. According to Justin Kubatko of Stat Muse, James is the second-oldest player in league history behind Lakers legend Elgin Baylor to score at least 35 points, grab 15 rebounds and dish five assists.
The epitome of a point forward, James, 35, is ranked in the top 10 for all-time leaders in points and assists. This season, James has taken his playmaking to another level, as he’s averaging a career-high 10.7 assists a game; he’s also leading the league in assists.
At the age of 35 years and 11 days, the @Lakers LeBron James became the second-oldest player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a game. The oldest player to do so is Elgin Baylor (35 years, 159 days). pic.twitter.com/Bbnoz3fzXV
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) January 11, 2020
Baylor was a pioneer when it came to showing versatility at the small forward position. He has career averages of 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. A Hall of Famer, Baylor is one of five Lakers players to rank in the franchise’s top 10 for points, rebounds and assists. The other four players are Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.
James and the Lakers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in OKC on Saturday at 8 p.m. EST.
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