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LeBron James breaks 39,000 point barrier in Los Angeles Lakers victory

LeBron James breaks 39,000 point barrier in Lakers victory
© Reuters
Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James becomes the first NBA player in history to score 39,000 points in his side's 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James achieved yet another milestone NBA points tally during his side's 131-99 victory over the Utah Jazz in the in-season tournament.

The 38-year-old continues to extend his lead at the top of the all-time points charts after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's previous record of 38,387, which had stood since 1984 - James's year of birth.

Nine months on from becoming the greatest scorer the NBA has ever seen, James went into the Lakers' clash with the Jazz on Tuesday needing just five points to break the 39,000 barrier, which he did in the first quarter of the match on his way to a 17-point haul.

James also added seven rebounds and nine assists in a convincing victory for the Lakers, who saw Anthony Davis lead the way with 26 points to his name, while Austin Reaves came up with 19 off the bench.

"I got congratulated by my teammates and coaches, (but) I haven't had an opportunity to really wrap my head around what that means," ESPN quotes James as saying after yet another historic evening.

"There's been so many great players that came across this league since the beginning of time, and so many great scorers. To be able to accomplish something that's the first of anything, I think that's always pretty cool. It's a wild moment, that's for sure."

The Lakers' victory at the Crypto.com Arena marked their fourth win from four matches in West Group A of the In-Season tournament, assuring Darvin Ham's side of a place in the knockout stages.

The quarter-finals of the inaugural competition begin on December 4, prior to which the Lakers - who sit sixth in the Western Conference - take on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday evening.

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Ben Knapton

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LeBron James in action for the Los Angeles Lakers on May 13, 2023
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