LOS Angeles Lakers star LeBron James put up historic numbers in Game 5 of the first-round series with the Denver Nuggets, according to Stats.
The four-time NBA champion recorded 30 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and four steals, but the Lakers still fell 108-106 and were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday.
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James, 39, had a particularly efficient night, shooting 52.4% from the field and 42.9% from 3.
The 1.80 meter forward also turned the ball over just once.
In all, the 20-time All-Star recorded the best playoff performance by a 39-year-old player, according to game scoring.
The metric, developed by The Athletic columnist and former Memphis Grizzlies executive John Hollinger, provides a rough estimate of a player’s contribution in a game.
It takes into account all modern box scoring, including personal fouls and turnovers, with the value of points having greater weight.
A game score of 10 is considered an average performance, while 40 is considered an excellent showing.
James scored 31.1 in Game 5 against the Nuggets, for Stathead.
His game rating was ahead of Reggie Miller’s 29.9 in the 2005 playoffs and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 29.5 in the 1986 postseason among players 39 and older.
LeBron also cracked the top 10 with his performances in Game 2 (26.5) and Game 3 (23.0) of the first-round series.
Still, the Lakers star recently said he’s considering ending his illustrious career.
“I have a family,” said James ESPN recently.
“I have a 9-year-old daughter. I have a son who is in college and is deciding whether he will go to college or go pro.
“I have a son who is about to finish high school. I wasted a lot of time with my family and they allowed me to do that and never pressured me.
“This shit is important too. [is left]?
“I did everything I could. There’s nothing I haven’t achieved in this league that I wanted to accomplish.
“So at some point you need [hang it up].”
After the Game 5 loss, James refused to say whether he thought he might have played his last game for the Lakers.
“Uhhh, I’m not going to answer that. I appreciate it,” said LeBron.
James later released a statement, saying he did not know what was coming and would only make a decision after consulting his family and entourage.
The NBA star could hit free agency this summer if he declines his $51.4 million player option for 2024-25.
Los Angeles is headed for major changes one way or another, with the franchise firing head coach Darvin Ham on Friday.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
