On December 29, Beijing time, the Lakers defeated the Rockets 132-123, ending a 5-game losing streak. James blasted down a triple-double of 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists to unlock the 36,000-point milestone. James became the third player in NBA history to score at least 36,000 points, the first two being Carl Malone (36,928) and Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), who is also the youngest Mr. 36,000. From 1,000 points to 36,000 points, James held the record for the youngest.
For James, the next scoring milestone is to surpass Carl Malone. After the victory over the Rockets, James' career total has reached 36,001 points, and he is still 928 points short of Malone. When will James overtake the star and rise to second place in the all-time scoring list?
Lakers reporter Bill Oram said that if James maintains the current scoring momentum, he is expected to surpass Malone in 34 games, expected on the road trip in mid-March, and possibly on March 22.
For Old Jen, being able to unlock this milestone in front of his hometown fans and leave a classic moment for Cleveland is undoubtedly a good choice. In 2016, James won the first championship in team history for the Cleveland Cavaliers. “Cleveland, this is for you！” It has also become a very familiar phrase.
Another special feature of the game against the Rockets is that it was the first time in James' 19-year career that he was the team's starting center. In the previous 1332 regular season games, he had never played such a role in the starting lineup.
Speaking about the topic after the game, James said he was thin and long and had never played as a center before entering the NBA. However, he also added that he is now qualified for all positions because his style of play is not a single one.
After the game, The Athletic posted James' data from the past 5 games: 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Rockets; 39 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists against the Nets; 36 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists against the Spurs; 34 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists against the Suns; 31 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists against the Bulls. He was the first Lakers player to score 30+ in five consecutive games since Kobe Bryant in 2013.
On December 30, James will celebrate his 37th birthday. The Lakers finally ended the losing streak, and old Zhan can also have a happy birthday with a happy mood, wishing him a happy birthday!