LeBron James has become the only player in Los Angeles Lakers history to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in the same postseason. The three-time NBA champion finished Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets with 30 points, 11 assist and 10 rebounds, good for his second triple-double of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
His first came in Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers, which James ended with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
James Worthy and Jerry West are the only other Lakers to have ever registered a 30-point playoff triple-double, doing so in 1988 and 1969, respectively.
James now has 26 postseason triple-doubles to his name, trailing only Lakers legend Magic Johnson on the all-time best list. Johnson finished with 30 playoff triple-doubles in his 13 seasons with L.A.
James and Johnson are also the only players to register at least three triple-doubles in five or more separate postseasons in NBA history.
The 35-year-old All-Star has been in an exquisite form this season. He was voted into the All-NBA First Team — alongside Anthony Davis — after leading L.A. to the first seed in the Western Conference.
James averaged 25.3 points, a career-high and league-best 10.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds over 67 games this season. It has been his 16th All-NBA Team selection, breaking the record of 15 All-NBA Team selections previously shared by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan.
James is averaging 25.9 points, 8.8 assists and 10.0 rebounds so far in this year’s playoffs.
James ‘pissed’ over MVP votes
Even though James keeps making history in his 17th year in the league, it was not enough to win the 2019-20 MVP Award. The Lakers’ star finished second, behind Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, receiving only 16 out of the 101 first-place votes.
And he did not receive the results well. “It pissed me off. That’s my true answer. It pissed me off because out of 101 votes, I got 16 votes,” James said of MVP voting.
“That’s what pissed me off more than anything. You know, not saying that the winner wasn’t deserving of the MVP.”
However, James then added he was fine with the outcome and heaped praise on Antetokounmpo for his outstanding performance this year.
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