On Tuesday night, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are playing the Philadelphia 76ers.
James had eight points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal while shooting 2/4 from the field in his first 14 minutes of playing time.
He also made NBA history.
Via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin: “With Maurice Cheeks’ retired No. 10 hanging in the rafters above him at Wells Fargo Center, LeBron James passed Cheeks for No. 6 on the all-time steals list in the first quarter tonight.”
Following Cheeks, the next player for James to pass on the NBA’s All-Time Steals list will be Hall of Famer Gary Payton (2,445).
Via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation: “Per Lakers: With his first steal tonight @ PHI, LeBron James passed Maurice Cheeks (2,310) into sixth place in NBA history.
5. Gary Payton (2,445)
6. LeBron James (2,311)
7. Maurice Cheeks (2,310)”
James came into the night with averages of 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 9.0 assists per contest while shooting 51.0% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point range in 41 games.
While not many looked at the Lakers as legitimate title contenders before the season, James has helped the team get off to a strong start.
They entered the matchup with the 76ers as the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 26-18 record in 44 games.