Getty
Lebron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball against Demar Derozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena on December 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
In his final NBA game as a 40-year-old, LeBron James had several ferocious dunks, including a jaw-dropping double-clutch reverse jam, as the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Sacramento Kings 125-101 at home on Sunday.
Besides the reverse jam off the Luka Doncic outlet pass, James threw down another impressive dunk off a lob from Marcus Smart.
The dunks further established James as the greatest 40-year-old to ever play pro basketball. In 56 games as a 40-year-old, James averaged 23.9 points, 7.4 assists, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and two made threes at 52% shooting.
The four-time NBA champion turns 41 on Tuesday and will become the sixth-oldest player ever to take the floor in a regular-season game.
Third Most Efficient Game Ever
James finished with 24 points (11-of-13 FG), five assists, three rebounds and two steals as the Lakers snapped their three-game losing streak against their Pacific Division rivals. Per ESPN Research’s Matt Williams, James’ 84.6% field goal percentage marked his most efficient game as a Laker and third-most efficient of his 23-year career.
After the game, James was asked how it felt to shine in his final game as a 40-year-old.
“I’m in a battle with [Father Time] and I would like to say I’m kicking his a** on the back nine,” James said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The golfing reference at the end of his quote was rather apt, considering that James is admittedly more interested in watching golf highlights than following the modern NBA. Still, it can’t be denied that James is still playing at a high level for his age.
‘Willing to Do Whatever’
Entering the game, concerns were raised about James’ negative net rating, particularly in lineups with Luka Doncic, as well as his mediocre defense during the 2025-26 season. Those concerns were only heightened when the Lakers lost their second-leading scorer, Austin Reaves, for at least a month due to a grade 2 calf strain.
James made it clear Sunday that he will do “whatever” it takes to help the Lakers.
“If it’s ball-handling, if it’s a little bit more defensive rebounding, if it’s a little bit more scoring, if it’s a little bit more assisting,” James said of his evolving role. “I’ve done it all, and I can still do it at a high level if need be.”
With Reaves out for the foreseeable future, James may be forced to take on a bigger scoring load going forward. Doncic knows that the onus is on him and James.
“I think it definitely starts with us,” Doncic said, via ESPN. “And when AR is back, it’s going to be all three of us. But now, it starts with us. We need to show what we can do and if we are going to do it, we both are going to do it. The group is going to follow.”
The Lakers (20-10) will next face the Detroit Pistons (24-8) on Tuesday night. The game will mark LeBron James’ first game as a 41-year-old on his birthday.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
More Heavy on Lakers
Loading more stories