LeBron James opened his 23rd NBA season Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, becoming the league’s longest-tenured player after surpassing Vince Carter’s run. The 40-year-old took the opening tip and drew a brief ovation from the crowd before the Lakers fell behind early. Los Angeles rallied in the second half to defeat the Utah Jazz 140-125, with James finishing the night with 11 points and 12 assists. The appearance continued his streak of scoring in double digits in 1,293 consecutive regular-season games.
Key Takeaways
- LeBron James began his 23rd NBA season on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena and now holds the record for the longest career in league history.
- James, 40, recorded 11 points and 12 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 140-125.
- He has scored in double digits in 1,293 straight regular-season games, extending a long-running streak.
- James logged 30 minutes in the season opener, consistent with minutes for the Lakers’ starters as the team eased him back.
- He missed the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season with sciatica and returned to practice this week after an earlier absence due to a nerve irritation in his glute.
- In June he reportedly picked up a $52.6 million option to return to the Lakers for another season.
- Last season he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists across 70 games.
- Career totals entering the game: 42,184 regular-season points and 50,473 combined regular-season and playoff points.
Background
LeBron James entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft out of Akron, Ohio, and has played continuously since his rookie season. Over two decades he has been a perennial All-Star and a four-time NBA champion, building a résumé that ties on-court success to longevity. Before Tuesday’s opener he shared the milestone of a multi-decade career with players such as Vince Carter, whose 22-season career spanned 1998 to 2020. In recent years James’ workload has been carefully managed by coaching staffs and training teams to preserve performance and reduce injury risk.
The 2025–26 preseason and training camp were punctuated by questions about James’ availability after he missed the start of the regular season with sciatica, a condition that causes nerve pain radiating down the leg. Head coach JJ Redick described James’ earlier absence as tied to a nerve irritation in his glute, and the team held him to 30 minutes in the season opener as part of a measured return. Retirement speculation swirled during the offseason, but reports in June indicated James exercised the $52.6 million option to remain with the Lakers for another year.
Main Event
Tuesday’s home game began with James in his customary No. 23 jersey and participating in the opening tip; the arena announcer noted his new record and the crowd offered a short ovation. The Lakers stumbled early, trailing by as many as 11 points, and James did not score in the first quarter as the Jazz led 36-27 after 12 minutes. He opened his scoring with a three-pointer in the second quarter, the first points of his 23rd season, and gradually became more involved in the offense.
As James found his rhythm, the Lakers narrowed the deficit and then pulled away after halftime. Los Angeles outscored Utah in the second half en route to a 140-125 final, with the team relying on balanced scoring and ball movement. James finished with a double-double — 11 points and 12 assists — while playing 30 minutes, reflecting the coaching staff’s plan to monitor his load following recent health concerns.
The outing offered both reassurance and reminders: James remains an elite playmaker and leader even as minutes are managed, but the early-game quietness highlighted the caution around his conditioning. He acknowledged concerns about stamina during a recent practice, saying his lungs felt notably undertrained, and indicated he needed time to return to full endurance. The Lakers framed the result as a successful collective performance and a controlled reintroduction of their franchise star.
Analysis & Implications
James’ extension of his career to 23 seasons reshapes several narratives in the NBA: it foregrounds player longevity, medical management, and the evolving role of veteran stars. Teams now invest heavily in load management, personalized training and medical monitoring, allowing high-usage players to sustain production later into their careers. James’ ability to deliver a double-double in a managed 30-minute outing underscores how experience and skill selection can offset reduced physical output.
Economically, James remains a major value driver for the Lakers and the league: his reported $52.6 million option is significant for team payroll planning and for the NBA’s broader marketplace, where star presence influences ticketing, local media rights and sponsorships. Strategically, the Lakers must balance short-term competitiveness with preserving James for potential playoff runs; restricting minutes in regular-season games aims to ensure availability in high-stakes matchups. The team’s medical and coaching staff will be scrutinized for how they calibrate minutes and rehabilitation to avoid recurrence of sciatica or related nerve irritation.
On a cultural level, James’ continued presence complicates simple retirement storylines and shifts attention to milestones beyond scoring totals — durability, leadership and off-court influence. His career totals (42,184 regular-season points; 50,473 combined) remain benchmarks that emphasize both peak performance and sustained production. For younger players, James’ approach provides a template: adapt playing style, emphasize recovery, and accept reduced minutes to extend career impact.
Comparison & Data
| Player | Seasons | First season | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 23 | 2003–04 | 2025–26 |
| Vince Carter | 22 | 1998–99 | 2019–20 |
The table contrasts career length for James and Vince Carter, the prior multi-decade exemplar. While Carter’s career set the modern standard with 22 seasons, James has now extended that mark to 23 seasons. Career scoring totals cited earlier reflect regular-season and combined totals for context when assessing legacy versus longevity. These raw numbers do not capture playoff influence, leadership, or changing roles, but they provide a concrete metric for historical comparison.
Reactions & Quotes
Team and league responses were largely celebratory and measured, highlighting both the milestone and the cautious approach to James’ minutes. The arena’s brief ovation and James’ acknowledgment signaled fan appreciation, while the organization emphasized long-term availability over single-game heroics.
“My lungs feel like a newborn baby. That’s the most important thing: I’ve got to get my lungs back up to a grown man.”
LeBron James (post-practice)
This comment came after practice Monday and was widely reported as James described his conditioning heading into the season opener.
“He’s back in practice after an absence tied to a nerve irritation in his glute,”
JJ Redick (Lakers head coach)
Coach Redick framed the medical issue as a localized nerve irritation and said the team would manage James’ minutes accordingly.
“He picked up his team option in June and remains central to our plans on and off the court,”
Team sources (reported)
Multiple reports in June indicated James elected to remain with the Lakers for another season, a move that influenced roster and salary planning for 2025–26.
Unconfirmed
- Reports of imminent retirement remain unconfirmed; James exercised his option in June but no formal retirement plan has been announced.
- Specific long-term prognosis for the sciatica-related issue has not been publicly detailed by team medical staff beyond descriptions of nerve irritation.
Bottom Line
LeBron James’ 23rd season debut is both a milestone in NBA history and a case study in contemporary athlete management. The game offered tangible proof that he can still contribute at a high level — 11 points and 12 assists — even as the Lakers manage his workload to preserve durability. The combination of historic career totals and careful minute allocation highlights a trade-off teams increasingly accept to extend elite players’ careers.
For the Lakers, the immediate task is balancing present competitiveness with long-term availability: maintaining James’ health through measured minutes and rehabilitation will be crucial as the season progresses. Fans and analysts should watch how the team phases his load across the schedule and how his on-court role evolves in high-leverage moments.
Sources
- CNN (news)
- NBA.com — LeBron James profile (official league site)
- Los Angeles Lakers (team/official)
- Basketball-Reference — Career statistics (statistics)