LeBron James Makes History, Lakers Fall to Cavs 122-110

LeBron James made NBA history as the first player to compete as both a teenager and over the age of 40, despite the Los Angeles Lakers losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-110. James, who debuted at 18 in 2003 and turned 40 on December 30 scored 23 points in the defeat. Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 27 points, propelling them to their eighth consecutive victory. LeBron James, considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in 2022.

He has won four NBA Championships and been named MVP four times, entering his 22nd season—tying a record set by retired Vince Carter. The Cavaliers remain atop the Eastern Conference while the Lakers sit seventh in the West. In other action, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 120-112 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.

The Bucks trailed by 19 points in the third quarter but rallied with Antetokounmpo scoring 30 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and adding five assists. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point performance guided the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 113-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, extending their winning streak to 12 games and keeping them in first place in the West.

The Toronto Raptors endured their 11th consecutive loss, falling 125-71 to the Boston Celtics, who were led by Jayson Tatum’s 23 points. The San Antonio Spurs dominated the Los Angeles Clippers 122-86 with Victor Wembanyama contributing 27 points. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Phoenix Suns 117-112 as Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 38 points leading his team to victory despite Kevin Durant’s 29 points for the Suns.