As he prepares to enter his 21st season in the NBA, there aren’t many “firsts” that are left for LeBron James.
But on Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar accomplished another incredible feat, as he officially became the oldest player in the NBA.
The 38-year-old James — who will turn 39 on Dec. 30 — became the oldest player in the league after 39-year-old Andre Iguodala announced his retirement on Friday. Last season, James was the third-oldest player in the NBA, trailing Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who retired at the end of the season, and Iguodala.
Following Iguodala’s retirement though, James is now the NBA player with the most seniority, both from a playing experience and age perspective. Trailing the four-time MVP in age is Golden State Warriors point guard Chris Paul (38), Philadelphia 76ers forward P.J. Tucker (38), Washington Wizards forward Taj Gibson (38) and Warriors forward Rudy Gay (37).
Last season, James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous mark of 38,387 regular-season points. The Akron, Ohio, native is also the NBA’s all-time leader in playoff scoring with 8,023 points.
What’s perhaps most amazing about James’ career is that he’s still considered one of the best players in the league despite his age and the wear and tear on his body. In ESPN’s recent rankings of the NBA’s top 100 players for the upcoming 2023-24 season, the four-time NBA champion ranked ninth — one spot ahead of Lakers teammate Anthony Davis.
Following Iguodala’s retirement on Friday, many took to social media to weigh in on James’ new status as the oldest player in the league.
https://twitter.com/BronGotGame/status/1715350822203040075
LeBron is officially the oldest player in the NBA now.
Not only is no one from his draft class left in the league, but no one from the following draft class is either. https://t.co/TvkhghmUW7
— ɴᴏᴛ (@georgemikan) October 20, 2023
https://twitter.com/ZiggyOfAk/status/1714535701264376107
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.