Basketball legend LeBron James made a spectacular return to the court on Tuesday night, helping the Los Angeles Lakers secure a decisive 140-125 victory over the Utah Jazz after recovering from a painful sciatica injury.
Historic Return After Injury Struggle
The 40-year-old superstar had missed the Lakers' first 14 games of the season while battling sciatic nerve pain that radiated from his buttocks down the back of his legs. This marked the first time in his illustrious career that James had missed the start of a season.
James returned to basketball activities last week before participating in his first practice session of the new season on Monday. Just 30 minutes before Tuesday's tip-off, the team confirmed he would start for the 1,561st time in his 1,563 regular-season appearances. The Crypto.com Arena crowd gave him a thunderous ovation when he was announced first in the starting lineup.
Record-Breaking Performance
While not displaying his classic dominant form, James delivered a solid performance with 11 points, 12 assists, and 3 rebounds. More importantly, his return established a new NBA record for most seasons played at 23, surpassing Vince Carter's previous mark.
During the game, James also climbed to sixth place on the NBA's all-time three-pointers list, overtaking legendary shooter Reggie Miller. The four-time NBA champion now stands just 48 games away from breaking Robert Parish's record for most regular-season games played (1,611).
Continuing Legacy and Future Prospects
James already holds multiple NBA records, including 1,855 combined regular-season and playoff games - 58 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - along with the record for total minutes played. He became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in February 2023 and last March became the first player to reach 50,000 combined regular-season and playoff points.
Despite his recent injury struggles, which included two months of recovery from a twisted knee ligament during the Lakers' first-round playoff loss to Minnesota, James remains optimistic about his future. He has repeatedly stated that he doesn't take this season for granted as potentially his last, but hasn't decided whether he'll play another year.
James's career began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in October 2003, a year before the birth of his eldest son Bronny, who is now his Lakers teammate. With four NBA championships, four Finals MVP awards, four league MVP honours, and 21 All-Star Game selections, James continues to build upon one of basketball's most distinguished careers.
