When the buzzer goes off for the jump ball on Tuesday night at the Crypto.com Arena, where the Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, LeBron James would have once again etched his name in league history.
The four-time NBA champion and all-time leading scorer, entering into his 22nd season, will equal Hall of Famer Vince Carter’s record for the most seasons played in the league.
Twenty-second season — still at the top. pic.twitter.com/kM4R0hMXxj
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 22, 2024
Carter was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 Draft by the Golden State Warriors and was immediately traded to the Toronto Raptors. He played 22 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2020 while with the Atlanta Hawks.
James, on the other hand, was the number one pick in the 2003 Draft class and has spent the previous 21 seasons playing for three different franchises, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and the Lakers, where he has been since 2018.
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, 39-year-old James, averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 35.3 minutes per game across 71 games in the 2023-24 regular season, while also shooting 54.0% from the field and a career-high 41.0% from the 3-point line.
Up next!!!!@Cincoro x #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/0ANwLf5xKv
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 21, 2024
The two-time Olympic gold medallist could make even more history on Tuesday if his son Bronny gets playing time, as the two could become the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together.
LeBron and Bronny played together once in preseason, in the Lakers’ 118-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns on October 6.
Across 1,492 games in his 21-year career, the older James is so far averaging 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.5 steals, while shooting over 50% from the field.
