Idolizing the greatest to ever do it is one thing, giving competition to his record is another, but surpassing his record? That’s truly iconic. And who better to do it than LeBron James? Michael Jordan is undoubtedly the greatest of all time, but it seems his legacy is facing a continuous challenge as LeBron, along with Steph Curry, keeps breaking his records one after another. 

King James has officially surpassed MJ’s record for the most career 30-point games in NBA history. James did it during the Lakers’ game against Atlanta on Friday night, sinking an 18-foot jumper with 5:58 to go, which marked his 563rd career game with 30 or more points. 

To put it in perspective, Jordan set the record with 562 such games across 1,072 career games over 15 seasons. In contrast, LeBron did it in 1,523 games over 22 seasons. And you know, chasing every MJ record is extra sweet for the 40-year-old as he has idolized the NBA legend since his childhood in Akron, Ohio.

He even chose to wear the No. 23 to honor the Chicago Bulls superstar. When the Lakers star passed Jordan for fourth place on the NBA’s career scoring list back in March 2019, he got emotional.  He called Jordan “an inspiration” and “the lightning in a bottle” for him. 

Most career 30-point games:

Not stopping there, just a night before, ‘Chef Curry’ also made history by surpassing MJ’s 30-point record by a guard after turning 35. He recorded his 40th game with 30 or more points, breaking Jordan’s previous record of 39. Curry did this while shooting an impressive 8-for-8 from three-point range in a blowout 139-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers!

To top it off, he also had 10 assists, becoming the only player in NBA history to achieve such a stat line. And remember, all this was done while dealing with a right thumb strain. The two ballers are undoubtedly rewriting history books. Especially LeBron, who is in his 22nd year and still on absolute fire!

Dropping 40-point games, smashing records, and showing no signs of slowing down. He’s proving that age is just a number when greatness is in play.

LeBron James: The third-oldest to drop 40 points in NBA history

LeBron James is one of the rare active players who witnessed Michael Jordan in his prime with the Chicago Bulls. The ‘Akron Hammer’ is often compared to the legend. He entered the 22nd season with his eyes set on only breaking and tying records. Just last week, James turned 40 and became the third-oldest player in NBA history to score 40 points, joining MJ and Karl Malone.

During a Western Conference showdown against Portland, with Anthony Davis out early due to an eye injury, the Lakers star singlehandedly carried the Lakers. He dropped 40 points on an impressive 15-of-23 shooting, hit seven three-pointers, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out nine assists in nearly 38 minutes. 

Although the Lakers fell short in the game, LeBron etched his name again in the books. To add to the list of historic firsts, this season, LeBron and his son, Bronny James, became the first father-son active duo in the NBA during the Lakers’ season opener.

As for retirement, it doesn’t seem like he’s rushing to hang up his sneakers. The hooper recently said, “To be honest, if I wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for probably about 5 to 7 years. But I’m not going to do that.” So, while the end may or may not be too far off, it’s clear he will shatter more records before his unparalleled career concludes.