LOS ANGELES — In a historic night for basketball, LeBron James has officially passed Michael Jordan's NBA record for the most 30-point games, achieving his 563rd scoring milestone during the Los Angeles Lakers' victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. James hit an 18-foot jumper with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter to reach at least 30 points for the 563rd time in his illustrious career, eclipsing the record that Jordan set in 2003 ([AP News](https://apnews.com/article/lebron-james-30-points-record-lakers-jordan-3c60a39c5a6e29b5d9ac497b6de6ee5a)).

Jordan set his record in 1,072 games over a span of 15 seasons, while James accomplished this feat in his 22nd season and 1,523rd game. Reflecting on this personal achievement, James remarked, "It’s very humbling... anytime I’m mentioned with any of the greats, and arguably the greatest ever to play the game, super cool" ([CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/04/sport/lebron-james-michael-jordan-30-point-games-spt/index.html)).

Coincidentally, the game also marked another milestone: James surpassed Dirk Nowitzki for the fourth-most games played in NBA regular season history. At 40 years old, he has defied age-related expectations, already tying Jordan for the highest number of 30-point games scored by any player over 40, demonstrating remarkable longevity ([SCMP](https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3293414/lebron-james-breaks-michael-jordans-nba-record-30-point-games-his-563rd-haul)).

This performance contributes to the long list of records held by James, who remains the NBA’s all-time leading scorer after breaking that record last season. He has also established a new record for scoring at least 10 points in 1,253 consecutive games, breaking Jordan’s previous streak of 866 games. As the game evolves, James's achievements continue to inspire future generations, echoing that "lightning in a bottle" feeling he had as a child idolizing Jordan.