By every statistic, LeBron James had the best 21st season of any player in NBA history.
On Sunday, the Lakers star finished his season with an impressive stat line of 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds, and five steals as his team defeated the Pelicans to secure the eighth spot.
James broke several records as a 39-year-old in the league, and here we summarize his list of feats.
- Averaged the most points (25.7) by the oldest player in the league at age 39, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 23.4 PPG in the 1985-86 season. The oldest player in the league has averaged 7.7 points in a season, per NewsNet. James shattered the mold by 18 points.
- Oldest player ever to shoot over 40 percent from three, surpassing Ray Allen who shot 45 percent from deep as a 36-year-old in the 2011-12 season.
- First player in history with 25+ PPG, 8+ APG, 50+ FG%, and 40+ 3P% in a single season.
- First to average 25 PPG for 20 consecutive seasons (averaged 20.9 as a rookie).
- Only player in history to surpass 40K career points.
- Reached the first-time milestone of 40K+ points, 11K+ rebounds and 11K+ assists.
- Surpassed Michael Jordan for most career 30-point games.
- Became the youngest and oldest player ever to log 25 points and 15 assists in a game.
- First player in history to shoot 73 percent at the rim and 41 percent from three.
- Oldest to lead the league in both 4th quarter FGM (197) and PPG (8.1).
- Oh, and lest we forget, James shot better from three than Stephen Curry in his 21st season.
- While some may disregard some of these feats as longevity stats, the fact that James became an elite three-point sniper at age 39 is mindboggling. He redefined what the oldest player in the league is capable of.
