LeBron James, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, 6, reacts following a shot against the Atlanta

LeBron James appeared to be driven to show that he still had a lot left in the tank and could play with the best of them when he made the decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.

That was never more evident than on his 38th birthday, when he took on the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers went to Atlanta for their last game of 2022 on December 30, 2022. As James celebrated his 38th birthday in his 20th NBA season, the Lakers, who had a 14-21 record, were having difficulty getting off the ground. They were in serious danger of losing this season, and they sorely needed a win to remain alive.

At that point, James entered a real superstar mode for the duration of the evening, reminding the NBA community that he still one of the finest players in the league despite his age of 38. He had a poor start in the first quarter, scoring just two points on one of his five shots, but he took off in the second and third quarters.

In the following three quarters, he scored 16, 13, and 16, respectively, to rack up 47 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. After the first quarter, he had put on another incredibly effective and commanding effort, going 17 for 22 from the field.

Most significantly, he accomplished this in a 130-121 Lakers triumph. James had to give it his all since L.A. got off to a sluggish start that left them down 33–23.

A few months later, LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record.
James’ incredible scoring streak that season began with the game and ended in February when the Lakers hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time NBA scoring record.

Abdul-Jabbar, who was nothing but courteous and encouraging to James when he broke his record, was present for the game.

Abdul-Jabbar posed for a photo with James holding the game ball that evening in an incredible moment that will live on forever in Lakers history.