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The LA Lakers will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night and will have a boost to their lineup. Star LeBron James is expected to return after missing the team’s last game against the Raptors, a 126-113 loss on Wednesday, to rest his left ankle.
LeBron has missed seven games this season, with Los Angeles going 3-4 in those games. The team is hoping his return can stop its two-game losing streak.
The game against the Sixers will be the fifth of a six-game East Coast road trip for Los Angeles (10-14), which is 13th in the Western Conference. The Sixers (12-12) are hoping to stop their current three-game skid as they begin a seven-game home stand. Philadelphia last played Monday.
The Lakers will need a big game from James, who will face a Philadelphia team that now has James Harden and Joel Embiid back in its lineup. The team was on a roll, winning eight of 10 games, before suffering back-to-back losses for the first time since losing to Sacramento on Nov. 11.
LeBron James marches towards the record books
In his 20th season, LeBron James is still a premier NBA player. Most players will never play that long and, if they do, are not this elite at this late stage in their careers.
This season, James is averaging 25.8 points per game, a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game and 6.4 assists per game. The Lakers may or may not make the playoffs, but James’ season may still be memorable.
By the end of the season, James could be the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and be fourth all-time in assists, passing Mark Jackson and Steve Nash.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the scoring record with 38,387 points. LBJ has 37,501. Nash has 10,335 assists, Jackson has 10,334 and James has 10,154. Chris Paul, who is still active, has 11,075.
James is also in the top 10 in steals (2,156) and could move to No. 8 past Clyde Drexler (2,207). (Paul is fourth, at 2,471.) To give context, no player in NBA history is in the top 10 in both assists and points other than James.
James and the Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem are in their 20th season. Three other NBA players have played 20 seasons as well: Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Jamal Crawford. Only five have played more seasons. Vince Carter played 22 seasons, while Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis and Robert Parish played 21.
