Win games like LeBron James do! This quote still remains valid for the Lakers star who turned 38 this Friday demolishing the Atlanta Hawks in a close encounter. Fans couldn’t agree more witnessing James’ supremacy on a birthday night, leading the team to a spectacular 130-121 win.
He enraged the GOAT debate even more by securing a ticket into the elite club of 40+ scorers at 38 years of age. The entire social media world remained awestruck, watching the four-time NBA champion relishing the glory. The HoFer Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless were the first ones to react.
CONGRATS, LEBRON, ON YOUR BEST GAME OF THE YEAR BY FAR. 47/10/9! ROCKY START, SENSATIONAL EXPLOSION. NO CAPELLA, SO YOU WERE THE BIGGEST GUY ON THE FLOOR AND DID YOU EVER TAKE ADVANTAGE. WHAT A FINISH. EVERYBODY FOLLOWED AND CONTRIBUTED. NO REASON TO "GIVE UP" ON THE SEASON, BRON
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 31, 2022
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Stop playing with my FCKING Nephew on his Bday. 47-10-9 #GOATJAMES 😤😤😤😤😤😤
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) December 31, 2022
LeBron turns 38 today!
Happy Birthday, @KingJames 👑 pic.twitter.com/4RTKSqbH9P— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 30, 2022
47 points on 38 years.
LeBron. James. 🎂 pic.twitter.com/XR3mOEnWIA
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 31, 2022
Happy 38th birthday @KingJames.
That’s how you celebrate it!! Big time game and big time win!— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) December 31, 2022
“I’m the f***ing GOAT” –@KingJames pic.twitter.com/NCIwyuMZX3
— Playmaker (@playmaker) December 31, 2022
Most points in a game after turning 38:
51 — Jamal Crawford
51 — Michael Jordan
47 — LeBron James pic.twitter.com/hU3Us1cBWW— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 31, 2022
"You just don't want to take greatness for granted like that." @nolimittb31 on LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/zzhpwDfMvS
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) December 31, 2022
The old Dynamo dropped 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists to hand over a spectacular win for the Los Angeles Lakers. Interestingly he became the only other player after Michael Jordan to score at least 45 points and 10 rebounds at this age. Jamal Crawford and Jordan happened to be the other top scorers, with 51 points to lead the tally.
Looking at the sloppy start of the game, with James going 1 of 5 out of the gates and scoring two in the first quarter, no one could have imagined the veteran taking a giant leap. He added another 16 in the second quarter helping the Lakers get within reach.
Although the Hawks flaunted a 67-62 lead in the first half, their poor rim protection turned out to be the loopholes for Thomas Bryant and Dennis Schroder to advance toward their destination. Not to mention, King James bolstered the progression contributing to 82% of the team’s points in the final quarter.
When the Lakers coach revealed the motivation for LeBron James and his teammates
Despite boasting a talented group of athletes, the Lakers failed to convert their games. As a result, head coach Darvin Ham admitted the frustration his squad underwent and the motivational speech given by James during the pregame session. This propelled their morale to perform better.
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“I think it motivates, I think it inspires them to go out and do their jobs,” Ham said, per The Los Angeles Times. “And again, our thing is you don’t have to play outside of yourself. Just play within the confines of the system and allow the game, allow the execution to help you.”
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“… He’s one that tries to empower his teammates, so I don’t think anyone took that as a slight. I think they took it as ‘You know what? He’s right. We need to pick our stuff up and really try to apply it in unison.’” he added. Regardless, it’s now the moment to cherish for every LA fan, and James himself, setting his bar high and defying all those age barriers.
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