In the history of the NBA, 31 players have scored at least one point in a regular-season game following their 40th birthday.
The number of players to do so at 41 is only eight; Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James on Tuesday night will become the ninth.
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In yet another marker of his longevity and greatness, James will celebrate his birthday on Tuesday, Dec. 30 on the hardcourt, in a nationally broadcast home game against the Detroit Pistons. James is the singular talent of this era. His play, naturally, is in decline. Yet, regardless of the nightly emotion and angst that surrounds his performances, James is reimagining the standard of production for someone his age. Put another way: he’s doing things that have never been done.
“I’m in a battle with (Father Time),” he told reporters Sunday, Dec. 28. “And I would like to say that I’m kicking his ass on the back nine.”
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
Gold medalist LeBron James of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Men’s basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
Gold medalist LeBron James of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the Men’s basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts while holding the Larry O’Brien trophy after defeating the Gold State Warriors to win the NBA Finals on June 19, 2016 in Oakland, California.
Powered by an amazing effort from LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers completed the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, dethroning defending champion Golden State 93-89 to capture their first NBA title. The Cavaliers won the best-of-seven series 4-3 to claim the first league crown in their 46-season history and deliver the first major sports champion to Cleveland since the 1964 NFL Browns, ending the longest such title drought for any American city.
/ AFP / Beck Diefenbach (Photo credit should read BECK DIEFENBACH/AFP via Getty Images)
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
Forward LeBron James reacts against the New York Knicks in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 9, 2012 at the American Airines Arena in Miami, Florida. Miami defeated the Knicks 106-94 to advance to the next round four games to one.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
MIAMI, FL – JUNE 21: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Finals Championship trophy after they won 121-106 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the 2012 NBA Finals on June 21, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James speaks to the media on an off day following Game Three of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena on June 11, 2014 in Miami, Florida.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 118-104.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James cries before the Men’s Preliminary Round Group B match Spain vs China at the London 2012 Olympic Games , on July 29, 2012 in London.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James is injured against the Charlotte Bobcats in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Time Warner Cable Arena on April 28, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James argues a foul call with referee John Goble #10 during the second half of a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 25, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James reacts as the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on Dec. 25, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James looks on before playing against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James signals to teammates after making a three-point shot at the end of the 3rd quarter against the Chicago Bulls in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 25, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cavaliers defeated the Bulls 121-98.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James reacts during a 117-108 Lakers win over the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on Jan. 15, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James shouts during a game against CSKA Moscow on October 12, 2010 in Miami, Florida. Miami heat won 96-85 over CSKA Moscow.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attends a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James reacts against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on March 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James sits during a training session in the leadup to the Cleveland Cavaliers exhibition match against the Orlando Magic in Shanghai in October 2007.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James at Intuit Dome on Jan. 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 28, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James falls to the court after a foul during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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The many faces of basketball legend LeBron James
LeBron James reacts during warm up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game One of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 19, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Though he might not have that explosive first step and though he’s playing a career-low 32.9 minutes per game, James is nonetheless averaging 20.5 points, 6.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds on a solidly efficient 50.7% shooting — figures that are striking for someone his age.
By comparison, before James turned 40 last season, the nightly averages for players after their 40th birthdays had been 6.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
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“It is remarkable,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters on Monday, Dec. 29 after a Lakers practice. “I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and got to get an injection on my knee. My body is old and broken. It’s like that (saying) ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it,’ and once I stopped using it, I lost it all. I can still barely touch the rim, though, which is nice.”
This is another area where James has an advantage over pretty much every human. During his final game as a 40 year old — a 24-point victory Sunday over the Kings — James didn’t just touch the rim, he soared by it, throwing down a thunderous reverse dunk, two of his 24 points in the win.
Although Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the NBA record for most career points scored (1,941) by a player after turning 40, Abdul-Jabbar played in 156 such games.
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Tuesday night against the Pistons, James will be playing in his 57th game since his 40th, and he already has 1,340 points since then, fourth all-time. And while many players only picked up spot minutes after the Big 4-0, James is playing a key role in Los Angeles, starting and carrying the team in non-Luka Dončić minutes.
James’ 23.9 points per game post-40 rank first all-time, just ahead of Michael Jordan’s 22.4.
Yet, this season has not been the smoothest for James. For one, he missed the entire preseason and the first 14 games of the year with a sciatica nerve issue. This marked the first time in his basketball career, going back to prep school, that he had missed any season opener.
Los Angeles won the first four games in which James played. Then, James had his record streak of consecutive games of double figures in scoring snapped at 1,297 — or nearly 19 years — though he did it on a play that exemplified his leadership: he passed up the would-be game-winning shot for the game-winning assist.
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And, now, the Lakers are struggling through the worst stretch of their season, losing six of their last 11 and three of the last four, a stretch that prompted an “uncomfortable” team meeting.
A lot of it is fit and philosophy.
Since James has returned from his injury, the Lakers have struggled to find cohesion on the floor. He and star guard Luka Dončić both thrive when the ball is in their hands, and Redick has failed to create a structure that balances Dončić playing off the ball and James staying engaged and avoiding periods of deference.
“Since we’ve gotten Bron back, we haven’t been as organized offensively,” Redick told reporters Saturday, Dec. 27. “Too many random possessions. That’s on me.”
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It’s also incumbent on Redick to solve the issue, because if the Lakers crash out — they currently rank fifth in the Western Conference at 20-10 — they will face an uncertain future this offseason with no established star to pair alongside Dončić.
Plenty of blame will also be heaped on James, unfairly or not.
LeBron James reacts during the Lakers’ game against the Jazz.
There’s even a bloc of Lakers fans on social media who have been calling for James to be moved, which becomes unlikely, given that he has a no-trade clause.
The reality is Los Angeles is stuck with James for the rest of this season unless he asks to be dealt before the trading deadline (Feb. 5). The window to win is now, and the Lakers need to do what they can to maximize that; think coaching adjustments and complementary trades.
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Because despite the massive contract and despite the constant second-guessing that comes with having him on the roster, James is giving the Lakers far more than what they should expect from someone his age.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: On LeBron James’ 41st birthday, appreciate his still elite standard