LeBron James broke the record for most field goals made in NBA history Thursday, though the latest milestone in his glittering career did not to stop the Los Angeles Lakers from crashing 120-113 to the Denver Nuggets.
James, who already held the NBA all-time points record, sailed past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 15,837 field goals with a fadeaway jumper in the first quarter.
The 41-year-old has played a record 23 NBA seasons, and has stoked rumors of possible retirement in recent weeks, telling reporters in January: “I don’t know what the future holds.”
James, who scored 16 points in Thursday’s loss, appeared to injure his left elbow in the fourth quarter, after he was shunted off the court and landed on the legs of a cameraman. Play was halted as he was substituted out. James returned to the court for the game’s final two minutes, but in evident pain. It was a wire-to-wire win for the Nuggets, though the Lakers had closed to within one point with two minutes remaining. “They’re a difficult team to beat,” said Nikola Jokic, who grabbed another triple-double including 28 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.
“We scored when we needed.” The result could prove crucial to playoff qualification, with the Lakers sitting in the final automatic spot in sixth, just behind the Nuggets.