Foils Father Time in historic feat James (knee) recorded 56 points (19-31 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 12-13 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and one block across 39 minutes during Saturday's 124-116 victory over the Warriors. Impact Los Angeles came into the contest in desperate need of a win on the heels of a four-game losing streak. James took matters into his own hands, tallying his most points as a Laker while knocking down six of 11 three-point attempts and going 12-for-13 from the charity stripe. The ageless superstar also grabbed 10 boards to notch his fourth double-double in his past seven games. The league has rarely seen this type of performance from a player of James' age -- only Kobe Bryant, who scored 60 points in the final game of his storied career, has registered a higher scoring output beyond age 37. In addition, James became the oldest player in NBA history to record 50-plus points and 10-plus boards in a contest, besting Michael Jordan's 53-point, 11-rebound effort at the age of 33. Despite the Lakers' struggles this season, James has put together another virtuoso campaign, posting per-game averages of 29.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.8 three-pointers. He's logging his most minutes since the 2017-18 season, but with his team sitting in ninth place in the Western Conference, James doesn't figure to see much rest down the stretch.
MARCH 6, 2022 • ROTOWIRE