Tag: Jason Kidd

The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness

Excerpted from the book The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon . Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You can buy the book HERE. Then there was the matter of Dončić’s happiness, or lack thereof. The subject …

Excerpted from the book The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You can buy the book HERE.

Then there was the matter of Dončić’s happiness, or lack thereof. The subject dominated the conversation about the Mavs throughout the league because it was a potential domino that could change the balance of power in the NBA. The Mavs got the gift of unwavering loyalty from Dirk Nowitzki, the face of the franchise for a generation, but Mark Cuban acknowledged that Dončić’s commitment to Dallas couldn’t be taken for granted.

“Look, players don’t talk like that, just like, ‘Hey, I’m here for the next 17 years,’” Cuban said. “He’d like to be here the whole time, but we’ve got to earn that.”

How could the Mavs do that? Cuban’s suggested solution was easy to say and difficult to do.

“Win championships,” Cuban said. “It’s amazing how that cures all. I mean, before Giannis won, everybody was like, ‘Where’s he going? Where’s he going? He’s not staying. He’s not staying.’ Jokić, while they haven’t won, da, da, da, da, da. Dirk before [the Mavs won the 2010– 11 title], right? There’s no great player, no superstar, where they don’t question, ‘What are you gonna do if you haven’t won yet?’”

A few hours later, Kyrie Irving scored 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavs pulled out a win over the Kings. Dallas’s slim play- in hopes were still flickering. “Just desperation basketball,” Irving said postgame. “It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve been in a must-win game, so it felt good.”

But over the next 36 hours or so, Dallas decision-makers determined that the two remaining dates on the Mavs’ schedule were must-lose games. If Dallas dropped their last two games, they’d have about an 80 percent chance of keeping their pick entering the lottery. If they won both, they still needed the Thunder to lose one just to squeak into the play-in. The call was essentially announced when the Mavs updated the official injury report the morning of their April 7 home game against the Bulls. Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood were all downgraded to out due to minor injury issues or rest. This was a bumbling, transparent tank job. Timing was of the essence, as the Mavs and Bulls were tied for the 10th-best lottery odds.

But the timing was also awkward. It was the second annual “I Feel Slovenia” night at the American Airlines Center, and Dončić had missed the inaugural edition the previous season, disappointing hundreds of his countrymen who had flown in for the festivities celebrating their homeland. A compromise was reached: Dončić would play the first quarter before calling it a season.

Dončić ended up playing one offensive possession into the second quarter, scoring on a post-up and then committing an intentional foul so he could check out of the game. The intention was to allow fans to shower Dončić with a standing ovation as he concluded the greatest individual statistical season (32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game) in franchise history. Instead, the crowd responded with a smattering of confused clapping.

Dončić changed into sweats at halftime and watched from the bench as the Mavs blew a 13-point lead. He seemed loose and relaxed in the seconds before the Mavs were officially eliminated from play-in contention. He covered his mouth and chuckled to teammates before the game’s final possession, when a couple of Mavs on two-way contracts missed three potential game-tying three-pointers, none of which drew iron.

“It’s not so much waving the white flag,” Jason Kidd said after the 115–112 loss, attributing the choice to Cuban and Nico Harrison, although the coach was fully on board with it behind the scenes. “Decisions sometimes are hard in this business, and you have to make hard decisions. We’re trying to build a championship team, and sometimes you got to take a step back.”

The decision was made despite Dončić’s public protest a few days prior. The Mavs’ front office could live with making Dončić mad for a moment if the scheming helped the franchise bounce back from this debacle of a season. The real disaster would be if Harrison and his staff failed to make the drastic roster upgrades the Mavs desperately needed and, as a consequence, couldn’t make a realistic case that the franchise was on the path toward contention. They had limited assets for this roster reconstruction, and the lottery pick would rank as the best among them.

“Once we didn’t control our own destiny, it was like, all right, we can’t be foolish,” Harrison said later, well after the league office’s investigation reached the obvious conclusion, resulting in a harshly worded statement and a $750,000 fine. “The worst-case scenario was we were 11 versus being 10— and you don’t make the play-in and don’t get your pick. Then I think I would probably look more foolish than doing it the opposite way.”

The Mavs conducted their media exit interviews immediately after a bunch of backups wrapped up this season to forget with a blowout home loss to the Spurs, whose more traditional tank job had already secured them a bottom-three record, maximizing their odds to win the lottery that ultimately delivered Wembanyama to San Antonio. Dončić didn’t talk after the previous game, when the Mavs pulled the plug, and didn’t have much to say about that matter other than that he “didn’t like that decision.” However, he downplayed the threat of him leaving Dallas in the near future. He wasn’t fond of ESPN reporting that the organization feared Dončić could request a trade as soon as the summer of 2024 if the Mavs didn’t make major progress the next season.

“It was funny, you know, because I didn’t know that was true,” Dončić said sarcastically. “I didn’t say it.”

Dončić didn’t have to say a word about a trade request for the Mavs’ front office to operate with that sense of urgency. That’s the reality of the modern- day NBA. The sense from people who knew Dončić well was that he genuinely enjoyed Dallas and wouldn’t look for reasons to leave, but the Mavs had to make sure those reasons— like another losing season— weren’t smacking him in the face.

“I think our job really to keep Luka happy, if you will, is surrounding him by the right players to help him win,” Harrison said a couple of days later. “And I think Luka’s a talent that deserves that.”

But Dončić wanted to ease the pressure, at least publicly, before heading back to Slovenia for the summer. “I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry [about],” Dončić said.

Of course, Dončić wasn’t happy about the Mavs’ 38–44 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since his rookie year. “Some things got to change, for sure,” Dončić acknowledged. It was an embarrassing way to end the season for a perennial MVP candidate, especially after Irving’s midseason arrival created so much excitement. But Dallas went 7– 18 after the duo’s debut together, falling from fourth in the West to an early vacation. The Mavs were only 5– 11 in games Dončić and Irving played together, which is the worst winning percentage (.313) for a pair of teammates who were both All-Stars since the ABA- NBA merger in 1976–77, according to ESPN Stats and Information research. But Dončić remained confident that the co-stars could form the foundation of a contender.

“I think it’s a great fit,” Dončić said. “Obviously people are going to say no [and] look at the results we are having, but like I said, chemistry and relationships takes time. I wish he can still be here.”

Harrison reiterated during his season-ending media availability that re-signing Irving would be the Mavs’ top summer priority. Harrison expressed optimism that it would happen, citing comments Irving had repeatedly made “about how he feels here, how he feels appreciated, how he feels accepted and allowed to be himself.” Harrison firmly believed that the Dončić-Irving duo could work, despite evidence to the contrary.

“I really think it’s the players around them . . . kind of knowing their role with having those two guys out on the floor at the same time,” Harrison said, emphasizing the need for good defenders who had high basketball IQs to fill out the supporting cast. “I think that’s the thing that we need to work on.”

Irving opted out of the exit interviews with the media and managed to steer completely clear of the subject entering his free agency summer, leaving people to wonder whether his silence spoke volumes.

Irving mostly kept a low profile while living and training in Los Angeles during the offseason. But he raised eyebrows with a couple of very public appearances, attending a pair of Lakers home playoff games. His seats were directly across from the home bench. On both occasions, after LeBron James was introduced in the starting lineups, he jogged over to greet Irving. They exchanged hugs and their customized handshake from their days together in Cleveland. It sure felt like pre-free agency flirting, similar to Irving’s infamous All-Star hallway chat with Kevin Durant months before they became a package deal headed to Brooklyn.

Speculation about the Lakers pursuing Irving had plenty of fuel. LA could have made a legitimate bid by bidding farewell to free agents point guard D’Angelo Russell and forward Rui Hachimura and making a smaller salary-dump trade or two. However, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka immediately hushed that conversation, declaring during his exit interview that the franchise planned to lean into continuity. Pelinka followed through on that plan, as the Lakers never showed any interest in signing Irving.

A few weeks before free agency officially opened, there were reports that Irving planned to recruit James to join him in Dallas. It was a juicy twist— if only it were even remotely feasible. James wasn’t a free agent. Even if he shockingly decided to force a trade— leaving the entertainment empire he had built in LA just as his son Bronny entered his freshman year at nearby USC— the Mavs had no way to make an offer to the Lakers anywhere close to the appropriate value.

Reports before free agency about Irving intending to meet with the Phoenix Suns were just as silly. The Suns, who had just traded for Bradley Beal to play alongside Durant and Devin Booker, could only offer the veteran’s minimum. There just wasn’t much of a market for Irving outside of Dallas, certainly not above the midlevel exception.

The Mavs were offering $120 million guaranteed over three years, plus another $6 million in incentives tied to games played and wins. Irving, whose agent is his stepmom Shetellia Riley Irving, officially agreed to the deal in the opening hour of free agency. The Mavs received some media criticism for bidding against themselves, but Harrison’s goal wasn’t to win the negotiation. It was to have a happy Irving on a roster that had flexibility to be upgraded. This deal accomplished that, awarding Irving a contract that reflected his production and status while providing the Mavs enough wiggle room within the salary cap rules to have their midlevel exception available.

“It wasn’t too difficult of a process,” Irving said when he finally met with the media again during the first week of training camp. “Had Dallas as number one on my list. Obviously I looked elsewhere— salary cap opportunities, where I could fit in with other guys around the league— but there just wasn’t much space. And me being 31 now, I had to have a different vantage point, and I felt like I could not just settle here but be happy to come back here and be welcomed back with a warm embrace.”

Excerpted from the book The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness by Tim MacMahon. Copyright © 2025 by Grand Central Publishing. You can buy the book HERE.

Jason Kidd looked absolutely baffled as Nico Harrison explained the Luka Doncic trade

There is no way Jason Kidd would’ve approved of this if he heard about it in advance.

At no point in the process of the Luka Doncic trade negotiations did Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison feel the need to talk to anyone else about the move. Therein lies the core problem. Because everyone else would’ve told him to get serious before blowing up the franchise’s entire future for no good reason.

Take head coach Jason Kidd, for example.

Kidd was unaware that Harrison was shopping Doncic. Harrison reportedly had nearly a month of dialogue with Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about the move. Not once did he tell the coach he thinks he’s aligned with about what was in the works behind the scenes.

During a press conference on Sunday, Harrison explained how the Doncic trade manifested. He said that he simply had to keep it a secret between himself and Pelinka. Otherwise, the Mavericks’ dirty laundry with their star player would’ve been aired out in public.

Buddy, that’s not a bad thing!

If everyone else had found out the Mavericks were trying to trade Doncic, they might have saved Harrison from making arguably the worst mistake he’ll ever make as a front-office executive. It’s mind-boggling that Harrison didn’t consider that Pelinka was not an impartial party in these proceedings. Beyond even shopping Doncic around the league for bigger and better trade offers, it would’ve been great to hear other perspectives, too.

Judging by Kidd’s clearly displeased and startled reaction while listening to Harrison talk, he likely would’ve been the one to stop the general manager from destroying the Dallas franchise in the first place:

Man, does Harrison not hear himself talk here?

He didn’t tell Kidd about trading a top-three NBA player in advance, but he thinks that’s OK because he knows they’re “aligned” as general manager and coach. Talk about denial over the earth-shattering move you just made.

I can tell you one thing with great confidence. Harrison and Kidd might have been aligned on their vision for the Mavericks franchise at one point.

That is almost certainly no longer the case after this Doncic fiasco. Harrison probably just lost Kidd for good.

Jason Kidd’s analysis of Jaylen Brown unsubtly played mind games with the Celtics

Jason Kidd knows exactly what he’s doing.

The Boston Celtics walloped the Dallas Mavericks so badly in Game 1 of the NBA Finals that Dallas was likely forced to do some soul-searching. After initially reviewing the film and regrouping with his players, Jason Kidd seemingly took another tact — sowing division among the Celtics’ stars.

On Saturday, Kidd spoke during a press conference to discuss his latest impressions of the Celtics. He specifically highlighted Jaylen Brown — to most people, the clear No. 2 option on Boston’s roster — as the Celtics’ best player.

Why? Because he can score with the best of them and dominate on the defensive end. That … is also what Jayson Tatum can do, the Celtics’ actual best player, but usually at a higher and more consistent level.

I think you know where this is going:

Beyond any schematic adjustments and a bettor Mavericks effort in Sunday night’s Game 2, Kidd probably knows exactly what he’s doing praising Brown like this out loud. He’s likely hoping for one of two outcomes against a stacked Celtics team, both of which would be equally beneficial to the Mavericks:

  1. Brown hears these comments and takes matters unnecessarily into his own hands during Game 2, forcing the issue on the offensive end when he doesn’t have to.
  2. Tatum hears these comments and takes matters unnecessarily into his own hands during Game 2, forcing the issue on the offensive end when he doesn’t have to.

For what it’s worth, Tatum and Brown aren’t taking the bait, at least based on their public reaction.

These are just public comments. We’ll see whether anything changes for Tatum or Brown on Sunday night and through the rest of this Finals series. Whatever happens, it was worth a shot for Kidd.

‘I was acting like a Twitter user’: Sam Presti explains Boston Globe letter he wrote as a teenager

‘I was acting like a Twitter user’: Sam Presti explains Boston Globe letter he wrote as a teenager.

Over the last few months, a Boston Globe letter resurfaced and made the rounds online. A 16-year-old Sam Presti was the author of the letter. In it he vouched for the Boston Celtics to draft Jason Kidd in 1994.

“The rebuild of this once-massive dynasty must begin now,” Presti wrote. “We need to clean house; let players go and clear up salary room for our draft pick. Although the draft is not incredibly deep this year, I do see a future star on the horizon.”

That didn’t happen. Kidd was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 2 pick, and the Celtics settled for Eric Montross at No. 9.

But the letter foreshadowed Presti growing into one of the best general managers in the league. The 46-year-old has been the Thunder’s GM since 2007, building two separate title contenders with a short rebuild sandwiched in the middle.

Presti was asked about the letter in his end-of-season press conference. With a hint of embarrassment, he linked his piece of work to social media usage.

“I think it’s very evident that I was acting like a Twitter user in 1993. I was frequently wrong but never in doubt,” Presti joked. “I had 100% confidence in my opinion with 10% of the information. I was an expert with no expertise.”

Presti revealed he wrote the letter as a high school sophomore and was surprised it was published by the Boston Globe. He said he talked to Kidd — who’s now Dallas’ head coach — about it before OKC’s second-round series against the Mavericks.

“It’s super humbling and to talk to Jason Kidd, he brought it up to me before the series started because someone had asked him about it,” Presti said. “It was great because I remember he opened my eyes while I was watching college basketball and some of the stuff he was doing.”

Presti might’ve been humbled about the experience, but his younger self was right about Kidd. He had a Hall of Fame career while Montross washed out as a backup big.

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Former Net Jason Kidd has a message for Vince Carter

As part of the Brooklyn Nets’ announcement video of Vince Carter’s jersey retirement, former teammate Jason Kidd had something to say.

The Brooklyn Nets made quite the splash on social media when they announced that former Net Vince Carter will have his jersey retired during the upcoming 2024-25 season. Plenty of people within the NBA world had something to say about Carter’s jersey finally being retired, but those don’t quite match up to the words of a teammate.

As part of the announcement video that the Nets posted on their “X” account, Carter was able to see some of the best plays that he made during his time with the franchise and give his reaction to them in real-time. To make the event more interesting, he also was able to see what one of his best teammates, Jason Kidd, had to say about his jersey being retired.

“Congratulations on having your number retired next to mine, number five (Kidd’s number with the Nets). We got five and 15 (Carter’s number),” Kidd said in the video. Kidd’s jersey was retired by the Nets organization during the 2013-14 season and was the last jersey to be hung in the rafters of Barclays Center prior to this announcement.

“You made the game so easy, maybe too easy,” Kidd continued. “Congratulations on having an incredible career. I think you played 40 years, somewhere around there. Well-deserved, but understanding you were one of my best teammates in New Jersey. Again, made the game easy, you made me look good. So, thank you.”

Carter and Kidd spent four seasons together as members of the Nets, known as the New Jersey Nets at the time, and went to the playoffs in three of those seasons. While the duo made it as far as the second round in two of those three seasons, they also had a combined five All-Star appearances between the two which seems to be the ultimate testament of making each other look good.

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Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder

Jason Kidd impressed by what Sam Presti has built with the Thunder.

Social media recently uncovered a gem: a 16-year-old Sam Presti vouching for the Boston Celtics to draft Jason Kidd in 1994.

Presti campaigned via the Boston Globe why the Celtics should draft Kidd. He mentioned his playmaking and basketball IQ as reasons they should add him to their roster.

The Celtics didn’t have a chance to prove Presti right or wrong. Kidd was taken with the No. 2 pick by the Dallas Mavericks and the Celtics settled for Eric Montross with the No. 9 selection.

Before the Thunder’s Game 1 win over the Mavericks, Kidd, who is now the Dallas head coach, agreed with Presti’s assessment from 30 years ago.

“He was right,” Kidd joked.

The 10-time All-Star enjoyed a successful career as one of the best point guards of his era. A second stint with the Mavericks as a player was rewarded with a championship in 2011.

Kidd hopes to bring Dallas another ring but as the head coach. In his third season, this might be his best shot yet to realize his ambition.

Kidd coaches arguably the best star duo in the league. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had a monster postseason debut in their first-round win over the LA Clippers. Each averaged 25-plus points.

They’ll need to continue to do that against the Thunder, who Kidd has had his fair share of postseason battles as a former player. The Mavericks defeated OKC in the 2011 Western Conference finals en route to a championship. The next year, OKC avenged the loss by sweeping Dallas in the first round.

The one constant from those 2011 and 2012 Thunder squads and this season’s is Presti. He’s one of the longest-tenured GMs in the league and is widely considered one of the best in his business.

Kidd praised the Thunder’s general manager, saying he’s done an incredible job at cracking open another championship window with this second iteration of OKC.

“It’s amazing what he has built here,” Kidd said. “Not just this team, but the teams that have come before this. He has an eye for talent and has done it at a very high level.”

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Mark Daigneault addresses facing the Mavericks in Round 2 of NBA playoffs

Mark Daigneault addresses facing the Mavericks in Round 2 of 2024 NBA playoffs.

After a four-day wait, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally found out who their second-round matchup will be on Friday: the Dallas Mavericks.

The two-headed monster of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving rivals the best duos in the league. They lived up to the hype in their postseason debut with a first-round series win over the LA Clippers. Each averaged 25-plus points.

The first-seeded Thunder are enjoying another weeklong break between playoff series. A sweep against the New Orleans Pelicans gifted them the impromptu vacation.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the Mavericks for the first time since they advanced to the second round on Sunday. The Coach of the Year winner was very complimentary of his opponent, stating they’re one of the last eight teams left for a reason.

“Anybody advancing in the playoffs is a really good team. We obviously have a lot of respect for them,” Daigneault said about the Mavericks. “They’ve been playing exceptionally. … Post trade deadline I thought that really changed their team. … Obviously a tall task for us.”

The additions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have improved the Mavericks. Since the All-Star break, they had the league’s fifth-best record (18-9).

Both could play huge roles in their matchup against the Thunder. Washington was Dallas’ third-leading scorer behind Doncic and Irving in the first round. He can stretch the floor and give OKC troubles on the defensive end.

Gafford is the prototypical rim-running big who’s given OKC problems all season. He can be a hindrance to the small Thunder as a rolling center with enough athletic pop to constantly be a lob threat.

The Mavericks might rely on both more than they did in the first round. Backup big Maxi Kleber will likely miss the Thunder series with an AC joint shoulder separation. He will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Daigneault believes Kleber’s absence could cause the Mavericks to reshuffle their frontcourt rotations. He played a key role against the Clippers as a stretch forward.

“Our guess for them is to stay big. But we’re ready for everything,” Daigneault said about Kleber’s injury. “It definitely changes their looks in the frontcourt.”

The Thunder will get their first chance against the Mavericks on Tuesday, May 7. Game 1 will be held at Paycom Center.

Once that contest is concluded, Daigneault will have a clearer picture of what he’s working against in second round.

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Mavs coach Jason Kidd gives thoughts on Sixers’ Joel Embiid’s injury

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gives his thoughts on Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid’s injury.

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with a major injury:  Joel Embiid will be out for at least a month after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his left knee.

The Sixers will reevaluate him in four weeks.

The Dallas Mavericks know a thing or two about injuries. Star guard Kyrie Irving has dealt with a variety of ailments, so coach Jason Kidd has an idea of what needs to be done when it comes to missing key pieces out on the floor.

Before the Mavericks knocked off the Sixers, 118-102 on Monday, Kidd gave his thoughts on Embiid’s injury.

“I think for Embiid it’s tough and you never wanna see an athlete have a surgery in midseason,” Kidd said. “Especially, with his abilities both offensively and defensively and what he means to the 76ers. Understanding he’s the MVP, he’s one of the best players in the world, so right now that’s probably a tough hole to fill.”

It is certainly is. The Sixers are 4-11 without Embiid and have had trouble rebounding, getting key stops and making buckets they normally get when he’s on the floor.

However, his injury creates opportunities.

“That gives those guys opportunity that don’t get those minutes,” Kidd added. “Just being in our seat, we’ve seen a lot of injuries so that gives other guys an opportunity to play so they have to step up. That can be dangerous at times because they have talented guys over there. Everybody’s a pro and they wanna show the coach and their teammates that they can play at a high level.”

The reigning league MVP was having a phenomenal season. He’s averaging 35.3 points per game and scored a career-high 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22. The Sixers will miss everything he brings to the floor.

“Embiid is one of the best players in the world,” Kidd finished. “Just hope for a speedy recovery.”

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Jason Kidd is ‘jealous’ of LeBron James’ longevity

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, an assistant with the Lakers when they won the NBA title in 2020, marveled at LeBron James’ longevity.

In the 2000s and early 2010s, Jason Kidd was the model of what an NBA point guard should be in a traditional sense. He dictated a fast and steady pace, slowed things down when needed and got the ball where it needed to go, and he was a floor general and almost a coach on the floor.

He was an effective player very deep into his 30s, and he finally got his world championship ring in 2011 as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, the team he is now the head coach of.

During the 2020 season, Kidd got another ring as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, which gave him an up close and personal look at a late-career LeBron James. Before his Mavs visited the Lakers on Wednesday, he marveled at how well James is playing at age 38.

Via Sports Illustrated:

“Yeah, I’m jealous,” Kidd said before Wednesday’s game. “I’m for sure jealous of what he’s able to do at this point of his career. He looks like he’s 25 or 27, somewhere in between there.

“Listen, he looks great. But I think with the understanding of being around LeBron, he takes care of his body. Everybody talks about his body, but I think it’s more his mind,” Kidd said. “Just being young, he doesn’t feel old. He has a lot of energy, he loves the game of basketball, and he’s always out to prove that he can play at a high level or prove someone wrong. And he’s doing that right now. He might play to 50 if he wants.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer not only takes great care of his health, but as Kidd pointed out, he also works on his game during the offseason.

“He’s a champion. His IQ is off the charts, he knows what people are doing before they do it,” Kidd said. “But I just think every summer, he’s always trying to add something to his game, and he’s played for 50 years now. It’s just amazing that he could do 50 different things each summer.”

In 15 games this season, James is averaging 25.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists a game. What is most impressive is the fact that he’s shooting 57.8% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point range.

LeBron James surpasses Jason Kidd for fifth-most career triple-doubles

On Wednesday, LeBron James had his 108th career triple-double, which moved him past Jason Kidd for the fifth-most in NBA history.

Even at age 38 and in his 21st season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is showing no signs of slowing down.

He is shooting a high percentage (57%)  as well as 37.3% from 3-point range, and he’s putting up 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists a game even though his playing time is down.

On Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, he had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, giving him his first triple-double of the campaign. It was the 108th of his career, which moved him past Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd into fifth place on the list of the most career triple-doubles in NBA history.

In addition, he became the second-oldest player to ever record a triple-double. The oldest was Karl Malone, who, interestingly enough, did so as a member of the Lakers during the 2003-04 season.