LeBron James, after scoring his 39,000th point in a Lakers’ win against the Utah Jazz, expressed surprise upon learning he is older than Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy, who is 35. When asked if it felt strange, the 38-year-old James initially responded with astonishment, saying, “I’m older than who?”
Upon learning he is older than Utah Jazz head coach Hardy, James expressed shock, taking a moment to respond. He reacted with a surprised “Wow…pffff…oh my goodness,” and dismissed the significance, stating, “It don’t even matter.”
James, amused by the revelation of being older than Utah Jazz head coach Hardy, acknowledged the surprise, stating, “That’s a good one. You got me, that’s crazy.”
In disbelief, he humorously noted how unusual it is for him to be older than someone leading an NBA team, erupting in laughter, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Despite the light moment, James had a notable performance with 17 points in the Lakers’ 131-99 win over the Jazz, nearly achieving a double-double in 24 minutes of play, missing only one assist for the milestone. He became the first player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to score 39,000 career points on Tuesday night.
In addition to scoring 17 points, James grabbed seven rebounds in the Lakers’ win over Utah. The team is strategically managing James’ minutes, aiming to preserve him for the postseason.
Currently averaging 33.6 minutes per game, James is only 4.4 minutes below his career average of 38.0. Despite approaching the end of his 20-year career, he continues to perform at a high level, maintaining an average of 25.7 points per game, just 1.5 points below his career average.