After LeBron James Does What Only Magic Johnson Could Do 36 Years Ago, Lakers Legend Breaks Silence on Nervy Win

The Los Angeles Lakers have secured their spot in the semi-finals of the In-Season tournament. Two of the most formidable teams in the league were battling it out for a place in a first-of-its-kind event. This has the former Lakers legend Magic Johnson excited.

Defeating the Phoenix Suns 106-103, the purple and gold once again dominated the court. Magic took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate the team for their hard-fought win.

Magic Johnson gives flowers to the Lakers for their win

Magic Johnson’s post included the spectacular stats showcased by LA’s star duo. He said, ” LeBron James was outstanding and finished with 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Anthony Davis had a great 27 points and 15 rebounds double-double.”

Congratulations to the Lakers for advancing to the semis with an exciting 106-103 victory over the Suns! LeBron James was outstanding and finished with 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Anthony Davis had a great 27 points and 15 rebounds double-double.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson)

December 6, 2023

It truly was “exciting”! Davis’ 27 points now put him in the 109th position on the all-time scoring list, ahead of 3x NBA champion, James Worthy. “Big Game James,” as he was widely known, had a total of 16,320 points to his name. By the third quarter, AD had advanced to 16,321 points.

When the game ended, Anthony Davis had 16,325 points. Now, he is just 77 points from surpassing former Piston guard and the current VP of the NBA, Joe Dumars. Quite the achievement, especially given how much time he’s missed. But he wasn’t the only one to have achieved a milestone.

LeBron James reaches yet another landmark

King James had another historic night on top of a sweet victory. He became the first player in Lakers’ history with 30+ points, 10+ assists, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ steals in a game since Magic Johnson did it 36 years ago, in 1987. Clearly, King James can’t go a week or two without landing a historic moment or two.

Magic is regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time. Spending his whole career with the Lakers, he led them to five NBA championships. From being honored as one of the 50 greatest players (1996) and selected to the 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, the Michigan native has a long list of accolades.

James is not behind in the accolade department, either. Aside from the historic “Magic” moment, the ‘Akron Hammer’ had two more breakthroughs tonight. The first Laker to produce 20 points, 10 assists, and five steals since Kobe Bryant did so in 2004.

He also holds the record of being the oldest player in NBA history to have the 30-10-5 game. Simultaneously, the 17th oldest player overall to log any kind of five-steal game. The James saga continues.