Travis Kelce became overwhelmed with emotion while speaking with brother Jason about his retirement from football on their latest New Heights podcast.

 

Jason, 36, announced his retirement on Monday after 13 years in the NFL as a Philadelphia Eagles player, with the legendary center breaking down in tears throughout an emotional farewell speech.

In the crowd at Philadelphia’s practice facility, Travis was also seen shedding tears alongside mom Donna and dad Ed as his brother waved goodbye to both the Eagles and the sport he has dedicated his life to for close to two decades.

On this week’s edition of New Heights, the Kelce brothers discussed Jason’s decision to bow out from the NFL in more detail, as Travis admitted to wanting his older sibling to play on next season.

 

 

‘We did not talk about much of your retirement,’ the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said. ‘And I wanted to make sure that you didn’t feel pressure from me to keep going, knowing that I wanted you to keep going. I wanted you to keep playing this game.

Jason joked: ‘Why didn’t you tell me this? I’d have changed my mind.’

After claiming his brother has ‘always been a step ahead’, and Jason pointed out he is the older of the two, Travis then burst into tears while opening up on the emptiness he already feels without him in the sport.

‘It’s always been like I’ve always had this flotation device right there. It’s erm… to have you out of it man it feels empty… and it definitely erm… it feels like it’s complete you know,’ he said while fighting back the tears.

‘It was a success.’

‘I hear ya,’ Jason replied.

Travis and Jason enjoyed an iconic journey as the NFL’s most famous brothers over the last decade, with the pair even locking horns in a historic Super Bowl last year.

And the Chiefs tight end is gutted to see the back of his brother on the football field, heaping praise on him for showing him the ropes in the sport.

‘It was a fun-a** journey to watch,’ Travis continued. ‘Like I said yesterday man, I just appreciate you showing me the way and bringing us all on the journey with you big guy.

Jason replied: ‘We showed each other the way. I appreciate it. Listen, I’m out of playing but I’m still going to the games. Like I said, you’ve been playing for a long time on your own and I look forward to being able to appreciate and watch your games more, take in the bigger picture of football and everything that it has to offer, while still remaining local in Philadelphia.

‘I’ll never not be there but I’m definitely looking forward to… I don’t know, it’s a different chapter and in some ways I’ll be able to experience more things and do things I’ve never done before. Which is exciting.

Travis added: ‘It was cool being the tag team of the National Football League! Pretty cool s**.

‘Yeah I didn’t talk to you about [retiring], I let you kind of do your own thing. I couldn’t have been more proud listening to you yesterday. It’s been a lot of emotions, a lot of a sad emotions, lot of exciting emotions.

‘You’ve got the f****ng world in your palm right now dude. You’ve got three little ones that I know you’re dying to watch grow up, it’s a lot of future, exciting future things that we have to look forward to. So yeah, back to the speech – can I see the Kleenex real quick…’

Jason then joked after his teary retirement presser: ‘Sorry I would be crying more but I wasted all of my tears.’

The 34-year-old was seen dancing and singing along to Swift’s 2008 hit song “Love Story” in a video captured by XS Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas.

Kelce had a water bottle in his hand which he used as a microphone for the lyrics, “It’s a love story, baby just say yes.”

Taylor Swift has enchanted another member of Chiefs Kingdom.

Defensive backs coach Dave Merritt sang the praises of Travis Kelce’s girlfriend while explaining the impact he believes the Grammy winner had on the star tight end and the Kansas City team leading up to their 2024 Super Bowl victory.

“She actually affected the team in a positive way” he said on the Feb. 23 episode of The Sports Shop With Reese & Kmac, released less than two weeks after the big game. “Everybody was excited that Travis was happy. So when my player, my brother, is happy beside me, that helps me and that encourages me.”

As Dave noted, he’s seen a change in Travis since he began dating Taylor over the summer. “And so Travis came in there a different man,” he added. “So she helped us.”

“She won a Super Bowl in her first year in the NFL,” the coach joked. “How about that?”

The “Blank Space” attended most of the Chiefs’ games this season, with their TV broadcasts and live streams regularly featuring live footage of her cheering on her boyfriend inside a stadium suite, which drew mixed reactions from viewers.

However, as Dave pointed out, “When she started to come around, it was privately. She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put the big spotlight on her.”

“When she started to come around, it was privately,” Dave recalled about Taylor. “She was coming into the stadiums without people really knowing until the camera put the big spotlight on her.”

He continued, “But upon meeting her, I felt like she actually added to what it was that we were trying to do. Because there were so many people that were hating the fact that she was being shown on TV, that you know what, you’re part of our family because you’re now with Travis, so therefore you’re our little sister or you’re whatever it may be, you’re part of family.”

Speaking of family, Taylor often brought her own family members and joined Travis’ loved ones, including his mom Donna Kelce, inside those stadium suites. And she’s won over the hearts of many of Travis’ teammates in a special way: Baking.

In fact, head coach Andy Reid told NFL on NBC Feb. 27 that the singer made the offensive linemen homemade pop tarts. “It was over,” he joked. “She knew right where to go.”

Lakers Injury Report: LeBron James Departs For Locker Room Late In Kings Game

With 3:56 remaining in regulation, All-Star Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James departed LA’s ongoing matchup against the Sacramento Kings. It’s unclear exactly what the ailment was, but he was quickly replaced by point guard Spencer Dinwiddie in LA’s closing lineup, surrounded by James’ fellow starters.

It’s unclear what the ailment was. A grimacing James requested to leave the bout and walked straight to the locker room, without sitting on the bench, as the game was clearly out of reach.

 

The oldest player in the league finishes the game prematurely with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field (1-of-4 from long range) and 10-of-10 shooting from the foul line, 13 assists, five rebounds, and one steal, and a regrettable-but-not-altogether-surprising -3 plus-minus.

Los Angeles trailed 122-108 at the time, and is now behind 130-116 with 1:35 remaining. The two clubs will meet again exactly one week from today. Barring an absolutely miraculous comeback in these final 95 seconds, Los Angeles will fall to 34-30 on the year, while Sacramento will improve to 35-26. With this presumed victory, Sacramento will now be 2.5 games ahead of LA in the win column.

Missing James for any major period of time could prove disastrous for the ninth-seeded Lakers, who will need every win they can get as they jockey to remain in the thick of the play-in hunt.

 

 

After closing his 13-season NFL career, Jason Kelce plans to shed some weight and explore new hobbies as he lives away from the football field.

 

On Monday, the former Eagles center held a press conference to announce his retirement from the sport. During the emotional speech, the 36-year-old gave his thanks and reminisced on his fond memories as a player.

On Wednesday’s episode of the New Heights podcast, Jason told his brother Travis about his post-retirement plans. He revealed that, with his duties as a center behind him, he plans to trim down and get in better shape.

‘I’m gonna slim down,’ Jason said. ‘My goal is 250 [lbs]. This last week, I got down to 285 cause I knew I was doing this. And then I had cake for three days in a row.’

Jason also shared his approach on his journey to his desired weight. He revealed that he does not plan on starting an extreme diet but is taking baby steps by tracking his calorie intake.

‘I don’t personally subscribe to doing extreme diets like going all the way vegan or all the way carnivore or keto,’ he continued. ‘My man Joe Thomas lost a bunch of weight [and] he’s all keto. And I’m like, ‘Dude more power to you,’ but f**k no, I’m not doing that. He looks fantastic, but it’s not worth, to me, doing that.

‘I downloaded MyFitnessPal and just started tracking calories. I feel like as long as I maintain my protein intake, so I keep my muscle and just kind of limit the calories, you’ll start to lose weight, that’s the plan.’

Aside from setting new fitness goals, Kelce also vowed to learn new skills and hold his weight in doing housework. He praised his wife, Kylie, for her wiring skills and expressed interest in making knives.

‘I’m looking forward to do something that’s not football,’ Jason shared. ‘I’ve been so committed to the sport for so long, it’s embarrassing when your wife knows how to do more housework. Her dad is an electrician, she can fish a wire.’

Travis went on to question Jason’s inability to fish a wire and claimed that he has done the task while fixing his speakers.

‘I’m talking about in walls – she could put in a new outlet if she wanted to,’ Jason said.

‘Shout out to Ky for being the handyman around the hose,’ Travis responded.

‘I like the TV show forged in fire,’ Jason continued. ‘I want to go to a blacksmith and make a knife, that’d be fun.

‘Count me in on that one, don’t do that without me. I’m gonna make a sword,’ Travis suggested.

‘A sword is a whole other undertaking, I don’t know we are good enough to make a sword,’ Jason closed.

Disappointing Turn of Events: LeBron James Departs Early as Lakers Squander 19-Point Lead to Kings.

After the Lakers dominated the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the modern media take machines asked the only logical questions.

Could the Lakers win the West? Had they turned the corner? Could they somehow finish in the top four in the conference?

You could almost feel the segment producers readying Wednesday night, the Lakers running all over the Kings in a win that would have vaulted them up the standings. The Kings’ high-motor offense had stalled with the Lakers’ replicating the defensive intensity they played with Monday. And the Lakers’ offense rolled — the ball found the open shooter and the open shooter hit all the big shots.

 

They led by 19 points late in the first quarter, their potential impossible to ignore.

But then came all the flaws.

Blown rebounds, inconsistent identity, bad body language, untimely turnovers and, quickly, an opportunity squandered.

In a violent swing, the Kings grabbed Wednesday’s game and flipped it before halftime, turning the 19-point deficit into a 15-point lead before hanging on to win 130-120 at Crypto.com Arena.

And, in a worst-case-scenario turn, the Lakers (34-30) played the final minutes of the fourth quarter with LeBron James in the locker room after the team took a timeout to remove him from the game.

The Lakers’ defense, which has been largely absent since their return from the All-Star break minus small stretches, completely deserted them. The Kings (35-26) made 18 of 23 shots in the second quarter, including 14 in a row.

Their bench, led by former Laker Malik Monk, dominated the Lakers’ reserves, who have struggled to put points on the board since the team settled on having Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in the starting lineup.

The Kings’ run started near the end of the first as Lakers coach Darvin Ham began his substitutions, Sacramento scoring the final 10 points of the quarter to wipe out more than half of the Lakers’ early lead.

It continued as Domantas Sabonis bullied Anthony Davis, of all people, with Davis needing to play through foul trouble. And with his presence at the rim partially negated, the Kings’ guards attacked Reaves, Russell, Taurean Prince and whomever else tried to get in front of De’Aaron Fox and Monk.

Fox scored 44 points, Monk had 26 and the Kings scored 76 points in the paint. Sabonis had 16 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists.Davis finished with only 14 points and 11 rebounds.

James led the Lakers with 31 points before exiting.

 

 

The Lakers next host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, continuing a stretch in which they’re facing some of the best teams in the NBA.

Kings Vs. Lakers Preview: Looking For First Win Of Year Against Sacramento

The Sacramento Kings are one of the teams directly ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings.

The Kings currently sit 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers in the standings, making this a crucial game for both teams. The last time these two teams played was back in November as the Kings dominated the Lakers. Domantas Sabonis completely outplayed Anthony Davis, who had arguably his worst game of the season.

That matchup between the two bigs is absolutely crucial in this one. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles and triple-doubles this season and is the hub of this Kings offense. Davis needs to be the dominant force inside on this night, controlling the paint and perhaps getting Sabonis into foul trouble to throw off what the Kings do.

 

Somehow keeping De’Aaron Fox in check is another big challenge for the Lakers as he is the worst type of matchup for the team. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league and the likes of Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince simply don’t come close to having the speed necessary to stay in front of him.

This might be a case where the Lakers’ offense needs to have a big night in order to keep up with Sacramento’s high-powered offense. The Kings not only rank in the top-10 in points in the paint, but are also fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game.

The Lakers have shot above 40% from deep in each of the last two games so LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell need to power the Lakers’ offense both with their shooting and creation for others. The Lakers also need a big night from their bench.

Malik Monk is one of the best sixth men in the league capable of getting scorching hot if he sees just one ball go through the hoop. Whether it is Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Reddish or someone else, the Lakers need their reserves to step up and make an impact.

The Kings have not been the best matchup for the Lakers over the past couple of seasons having lost five of the last six against their division rivals. If James and Davis are dominant the Lakers can beat anyone, but they have to keep up the defensive intensity and 3-point shooting they’ve shown the last couple games if they plan on getting a big win.

Los Angeles Lakers (34-29) vs. Sacramento Kings (34-26)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 7:30 p.m. PTCrypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: Spectrum SportsnetRadio: 710 AM ESPN LA

Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:

PG: D’Angelo RussellSG: Austin ReavesSF: LeBron JamesPF: Rui HachimuraC: Anthony Davis

Key Reserves: Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie

Projected Kings Starting Lineup:

PG: De’Aaron FoxSG: Kevin HuerterSF: Keegan MurrayPF: Harrison BarnesC: Domantas Sabonis

Key Reserves: Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte

Kings Vs. Lakers Preview: Looking For First Win Of Year Against Sacramento

The Sacramento Kings are one of the teams directly ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings.

The Kings currently sit 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers in the standings, making this a crucial game for both teams. The last time these two teams played was back in November as the Kings dominated the Lakers. Domantas Sabonis completely outplayed Anthony Davis, who had arguably his worst game of the season.

That matchup between the two bigs is absolutely crucial in this one. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles and triple-doubles this season and is the hub of this Kings offense. Davis needs to be the dominant force inside on this night, controlling the paint and perhaps getting Sabonis into foul trouble to throw off what the Kings do.

 

Somehow keeping De’Aaron Fox in check is another big challenge for the Lakers as he is the worst type of matchup for the team. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league and the likes of Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince simply don’t come close to having the speed necessary to stay in front of him.

This might be a case where the Lakers’ offense needs to have a big night in order to keep up with Sacramento’s high-powered offense. The Kings not only rank in the top-10 in points in the paint, but are also fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game.

The Lakers have shot above 40% from deep in each of the last two games so LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell need to power the Lakers’ offense both with their shooting and creation for others. The Lakers also need a big night from their bench.

Malik Monk is one of the best sixth men in the league capable of getting scorching hot if he sees just one ball go through the hoop. Whether it is Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Reddish or someone else, the Lakers need their reserves to step up and make an impact.

The Kings have not been the best matchup for the Lakers over the past couple of seasons having lost five of the last six against their division rivals. If James and Davis are dominant the Lakers can beat anyone, but they have to keep up the defensive intensity and 3-point shooting they’ve shown the last couple games if they plan on getting a big win.

Los Angeles Lakers (34-29) vs. Sacramento Kings (34-26)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 7:30 p.m. PTCrypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: Spectrum SportsnetRadio: 710 AM ESPN LA

Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:

PG: D’Angelo RussellSG: Austin ReavesSF: LeBron JamesPF: Rui HachimuraC: Anthony Davis

Key Reserves: Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie

Projected Kings Starting Lineup:

PG: De’Aaron FoxSG: Kevin HuerterSF: Keegan MurrayPF: Harrison BarnesC: Domantas Sabonis

Key Reserves: Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte

Kings Vs. Lakers Preview: Looking For First Win Of Year Against Sacramento

The Sacramento Kings are one of the teams directly ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings.

The Kings currently sit 1.5 games ahead of the Lakers in the standings, making this a crucial game for both teams. The last time these two teams played was back in November as the Kings dominated the Lakers. Domantas Sabonis completely outplayed Anthony Davis, who had arguably his worst game of the season.

That matchup between the two bigs is absolutely crucial in this one. Sabonis leads the NBA in double-doubles and triple-doubles this season and is the hub of this Kings offense. Davis needs to be the dominant force inside on this night, controlling the paint and perhaps getting Sabonis into foul trouble to throw off what the Kings do.

 

Somehow keeping De’Aaron Fox in check is another big challenge for the Lakers as he is the worst type of matchup for the team. Fox is one of the fastest guards in the league and the likes of Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince simply don’t come close to having the speed necessary to stay in front of him.

This might be a case where the Lakers’ offense needs to have a big night in order to keep up with Sacramento’s high-powered offense. The Kings not only rank in the top-10 in points in the paint, but are also fourth in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game.

The Lakers have shot above 40% from deep in each of the last two games so LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell need to power the Lakers’ offense both with their shooting and creation for others. The Lakers also need a big night from their bench.

Malik Monk is one of the best sixth men in the league capable of getting scorching hot if he sees just one ball go through the hoop. Whether it is Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Reddish or someone else, the Lakers need their reserves to step up and make an impact.

The Kings have not been the best matchup for the Lakers over the past couple of seasons having lost five of the last six against their division rivals. If James and Davis are dominant the Lakers can beat anyone, but they have to keep up the defensive intensity and 3-point shooting they’ve shown the last couple games if they plan on getting a big win.

Los Angeles Lakers (34-29) vs. Sacramento Kings (34-26)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 7:30 p.m. PTCrypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CaliforniaTV: Spectrum SportsnetRadio: 710 AM ESPN LA

Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:

PG: D’Angelo RussellSG: Austin ReavesSF: LeBron JamesPF: Rui HachimuraC: Anthony Davis

Key Reserves: Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie

Projected Kings Starting Lineup:

PG: De’Aaron FoxSG: Kevin HuerterSF: Keegan MurrayPF: Harrison BarnesC: Domantas Sabonis

Key Reserves: Malik Monk, Trey Lyles, Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte

LeBron James Dodges as 6ft 9inch NBA Star Squeezes into Compact Ford with Wife to Celebrate 40,000 Point Milestone at Party.

LEBRON James has squeezed himself into a stunning vintage car as he and his wife Savannah celebrated his latest carer milestone.

LeBron James hit the town over the weekend to celebrate reaching 40,000 career points

On Saturday, Los Angeles Lakers fans erupted around the Crypto.com Arena as LeBron became the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career points, during their game against the Denver Nuggets.

 

LeBron James (R) and his wife Savannah (C) headed for a night out in Malibu over the weekend to celebrate his latest career milestone.

6-foot-9 LeBron managed to fit into his vintage Ford Bronco before heading to Nobu and SoHo House.

On Saturday, LeBron became the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career pointsCredit: Getty

LeBron’s 40,000th point came early in the second quarter and was followed by a standing ovation for the four-time MVP.

Unfortunately, the evening’s excitement was dulled somewhat with the Lakers ultimately losing 124-114 to the reigning Champions.

Despite this, LeBron and Savannah took the opportunity to enjoy a night out together in celebration of his momentous achievement.

Wearing white shoes, pants, and a T-shirt, LeBron paired these with a denim jacket, a white beanie, and a selection of jewelry, as he headed out to dinner in his vintage green soft-top Ford Bronco.

By his side was Savannah, wearing an all-blue coat and pant combo, paired with a bandanna and white shoes.

Having squeezed himself into the Bronco, the 6-foot-9 NBA legend headed out for dinner at Nobu in Malibu, California.

Later, LeBron and Savannah made their way to SoHo House, overlooking the Pacific.

Savannah has been by LeBron’s side throughout his career, having first met as 16-year-olds in Ohio.

They have since had three children together, LeBron ‘Bronny’ James Jr., 19, Bryce Maximus, 16, and Zhuri Nova, nine.

And while LeBron has long been cemented as one of the all-time greats of the NBA, it seems the family name may not leave the league any time soon.

‘I’m quite disgusted,’ fumes Stephen A. Smith as ESPN analyst savages LeBron teammate after Lakers star passes milestone

USC star guard Bronny is reportedly weighing his options at the moment, as he debated returning to the Trojans for another season versus declaring for the Draft.

His decision will come down to the interest from specific teams, rather than any draft projections, as per his father’s agent, Rich Paul, via ESPN.

“I don’t value a young player getting into the lottery as much as I do getting him on the right team in the right developmental situation,” he said.

Paul added that Bronny joining LeBron on a roster is not a requirement.

That being said, understandably, LeBron would be “head over heels excited if that were to happen organically.”

LeBron and Savannah have been together since they were 16 years old.

Their eldest child, Bronny, is reportedly debating whether or not to remain with the USC Trojans for another season or declare for the upcoming NBA Draft

Milestone Achievement: Evaluating the Importance of LeBron James Scoring 40,000 Points and Its Meaning for the NBA.

LeBron James is nine points away from becoming the first NBA player to reach 40,000. It´s obviously reasonable to think that he´ll get it when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. James has scored at least nine points in each of his last 762 games that count, including playoffs.

He´s been held under nine points a total of nine times in 21 seasons. In other words, 40,000 is about to happen. And since 50,000 points probably won´t happen – though one never knows with the 39-year-old James – this will be another moment that is certainly worth savoring.

“No one has done it,” James said. “And for me to be in this position at this point and time in my career, I think it´s pretty cool. But is it one of the top things I´ve done in my career? No. Does it mean something? Of course. Why wouldn´t it?”

 

He never set out in pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar´s scoring record; it just happened. He never set out in pursuit of Vince Carter´s record of playing 22 seasons either; he´ll tie that mark next year, barring some sort of seismic change in his plans or thinking. It´s still about one thing, and that´s the ring.

The Lakers aren´t the favorites to win the title this season. But given how the oldest player in the NBA right now has performed this week, Laker Nation still has plenty of reasons to think that one more run to a Larry O´Brien Trophy is possible.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James scowls after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

What he did on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers was pure theater. He outscored the Clippers 19-16 by himself in the fourth quarter, making five 3-pointers and leading the Lakers to a wild 116-112 comeback win. And then on Thursday night – a back-to-back for a 39-year-old with a bad ankle – he played 39 minutes, scored 31 points and had a huge chasedown block that became a game-saving play to help the Lakers get an overtime win against Washington.

“That´s why he takes good care of himself,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “The fruits of his labor are on full display with plays like that.”

The Wizards are bad, sure. But a win is a win, and the Lakers keep stacking them. They´re 9-3 in their last 12 games, are five games over .500 and now get a shot at Denver in a rematch of last season´s Western Conference finals mismatch.

That´s James´ focus entering Saturday. Not getting 40,000 points.

“We just want to get better,” James said.

It´s cliché, but true. That said, he´s just doing a whole ton of unprecedented stuff.

He´s going to average about 25 points this season. There hasn´t been an “oldest player” in the NBA to average even 10 points since John Stockton scored 10.8 per game in 2002-03. James is probably going to finish with the highest scoring average of any oldest player ever; Abdul-Jabbar was the league´s oldest player when he averaged 23.4 points in 1985-86.

Here´s another oldie-but-goodie: James was an All-Star last month. Nobody had been an All-Star in a season where they were the league´s oldest player since 1991, when Robert Parish pulled it off.

“It´s just been an absolute honor to be able to grace the floor throughout my career and be out there with the greatest players in the world year in and year out,” James said in Indianapolis, when he was an All-Star for the 20th time in his 21 seasons.

The NBA couldn´t have timed this any better: Lakers vs. Nuggets, national TV, prime-time Saturday night, James nearing a milestone that nobody has ever hit and nobody will again anytime soon – if ever. The funny thing is, he´s already reached 40,000 points, depending on how one counts.

Let´s explain.

Officially, James has 39,991 points in regular-season games going into Saturday. Unofficially, it could be argued that the real total is 40,015 points (which would have meant that he crossed the 40,000 mark on Thursday). Or maybe even 40,067 points (which would have meant the milestone basket happened Sunday in Phoenix).

He had 24 points on Dec. 9 in the final of the In-Season Tournament, when the Lakers beat Indiana 123-109 for that event´s inaugural crown. But that game wasn´t a regular-season game, doesn´t count in the standings and doesn´t count in the stats either.

And he´s also scored 52 points in Play-In Tournament games, getting 22 in a win over Golden State in 2021 and 30 against Minnesota in a win last season. Those aren´t playoff games, nor are they regular-season games. They just don´t count, period.

So, he´s already done it. He´ll just do it for real on Saturday. Before long, it´ll be back to the playoff grind, already in progress, but the moment is one he will appreciate.

“To hit feats and have milestones throughout my career, they all mean something to me. Absolutely,” James said. “Obviously, there´s a pecking order of which ones are higher than others. But I would be lying to you if I said no, it doesn´t mean anything. It absolutely does.”

It won’t be the last big moment of his career. But nobody knows how many great ones are left for James. And that’s why this will be one to savor.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, shoots as Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, center, and forward Richaun Holmes defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dunks over Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and forward Royce O’Neale during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Phoenix.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, dunks as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, center, and guard Terance Mann defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo during the first half of an NBA All-Star basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.