The Associated Press naming LeBron James the Male Athlete of the Decade Sunday isn’t exactly a shock.
In his last game as a 34-year-old that night, though, King James celebrated the award by hitting a career milestone in a selfless statistical category.
James dished out 13 assists as the Lakers beat the Mavericks 108-95, passing 9,000-career assists mark. LBJ is just the ninth NBA player to reach the benchmark.
LeBron added 13 points in the same game but acknowledged a shift away from his own scoring in his focus over the last two games of the decade.
“It was something that was instilled in me when I first picked up a basketball,” James told the AP about his ability to distribute the ball. “One of my earliest coaches said the best part of the game was to move side to side, attract the defense and get the teammate the open look.”
In Saturday’s game, James finished with 16 assists to push him toward the 9K mark.
The pace in James’ play and role in facilitating his teammates getting better shots is what the star and head coach Frank Vogel say helped end a four-game losing streak by the Lakers Saturday.
James’ turns 35-years-old Monday. He and the Lakers start 2020 hosting the Suns on new years day, now riding a pair of wins and still sit atop the Western Conference standings.