LeBron becomes youngest to 27,000 points, surpasses Bryant
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23)) gestures next to Washington Wizards guard Sheldon McClellan (9) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, in Washington. The Cavaliers won 105-94. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James grabbed another piece of NBA history on Friday, becoming the youngest player ever to score 27,000 points.
James, 31 years and 317 days old, needed seven points to reach the milestone going into the Cavaliers game against the Wizards in Washington.
He scored 11 in the first quarter to surpass former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who was 32 years and 160 days old when he reached 27,000.
James finished with 27 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the 105-94 victory over the Wizards — and got a post-game celebratory dousing with water by his teammates.
“They lied to me,” James said of the little locker-room festivity. “They said Coach (Tyronn) Lue had accomplished something and they were going to douse him.
“I was kind of surprised… and they rushed me. Got all my clothes wet but it’s my guys.
“It’s always great to be able to accomplish that with a great group of guys.”
For four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James it’s another top mark. He’s first all-time in assists by a forward and the only player with at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a season for at least seven seasons.
Earlier this month he moved past Hakeem Olajuwon and into 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
“That’s NBA history, man,” Kyrie Irving, who led the Cavaliers with 29 points, said of James’s latest milestone. “It’s truly an honor to be part of the journey like that where you see someone put in so much work every single day and accomplishment after accomplishment and he’s really just humble about it.
“Youngest player to 27,000 points — it’s an unbelievable feat,” Irving said.
JR Smith scored 17 points and Kevin Love added 14 points and 16 rebounds for Cleveland, who bounced back from their first defeat of the season to improve to 7-1.
Up 58-56 at halftime, Cleveland held Washington to 38 points in the second half as they pulled away.
John Wall scored 28 points for the Wizards but was held scoreless for the third quarter and most of the fourth.
“We have to get back to our defensive ways and coach Lue challenged us tonight,” James said. “We definitely picked it up in the second half.”
Still motivated
The victory came a day after the reigning champion Cavaliers were feted at the White House by US President Barack Obama.
“It’s something that, me personally, I will never forget,” Lue said. “And hopefully for the guys, they feel the same way. A lot of guys were humbled by the experience.
“When you get a chance to meet the president of the United States and he knows your first name and knows your stats and how you play and who you are as a person, it just means a lot.”
But James said the Cavaliers are far from satisfied.
“We’re still motivated to continue to get better,” he said. “We love playing the game of basketball with one another. It’s fun for us. We just want to continue to challenge each other on a day-to-day basis and see how far our ceiling can go, how far our elevator can go. It’s a good start for us.”
