Few athletes have been able to outrun Father Time quite like LeBron James, who has proven time and time again that age is just a number. On his 38th birthday Friday, the Lakers superstar showed why he’s one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball with a spectacular performance in Atlanta.
James finished the 130–121 win over Hawks with 47 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He quickly brushed aside a 1-for-5 start to end the game 18-of-27 from the floor, while also leading the Lakers back from a 15-point deficit in the first half to capture much-needed victory.
James said that before the game he’d predicted a big night to his teammates, revealing after the win that he’d told his peers he would give them a gift on his special day. That gift was a 47-point outburst, his highest scoring total of the season.
“The dude is nothing short of phenomenal, amazing,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “But it’s something I expect. Like, it doesn’t blow me away. It’s just something I expect from him. It’s just like, ‘Damn! Carry on.’”
“To see that performance from him, you just don’t want to take greatness for granted like that,” center Thomas Bryant explained.
“Just good to be able to witness it,” Russell Westbrook added.
Ham and James’s teammates weren’t the only ones in complete awe of the 38-year-old’s showcase on Friday. Fellow players, media members and more took to Twitter to bow down to the King after yet another unforgettable performance that will stand the test of time.
