James returns and hits milestones, Lakers trident shatters doubts about compatibility

If you were to set a theme for today's NBA, the theme might be "return." Yang Hansen returned from the Development League, and James, who suffered from sciatica at the beginning of the season, finally started the 23rd season of his career.

In today's game, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Jazz 140 to 125. James, who was 40 years and 325 days old, went into battle. In 29 minutes, James made 4 of 7 shots and made a small effort, easily scoring a double-double of 11 points, 3 rebounds and 12 assists. According to statistics, after this campaign, James became the oldest player in NBA history to achieve a double-double in his first game of the season. At the same time, James is also the second-oldest player in NBA history to reach double figures in assists in a single regular season game, second only to Stockton.

"That G League player over there played well, and the G League trained him." Reeves said jokingly when talking about James' performance after his comeback.

At nearly 41 years old, James has become a walking milestone maker in the NBA. Although the first official game of the season was just a warm-up process for him, the records that followed were shocking enough. According to statistics, James has scored in double figures in 1,293 consecutive games in his career. The last time James scored less than 10 points in a regular season game was back on January 5, 2007, when Flagg, the 2025 No. 1 pick, was just 15 days old.

In the game, after James hit 2 three-pointers, his career three-pointers also reached 2,561, surpassing the legendary shooter Miller and occupying the sixth place in NBA history.

"As the game progresses, my physical condition is getting better and better, and I feel that I have regained my endurance again and again. The rhythm of the game has gradually returned. This is my first official game in the past seven months. Everything that happened tonight was expected, and facing a team like the Jazz, their game rhythm is very fast, and players frequently move around. This type of play is obviously a test for me. But I am very happy because I managed to keep up with the rhythm of my teammates." James said.

James is back, the Lakers' trident has officially taken shape, and the doubt that the three are incompatible has been completely broken. In this game, Doncic and Reeves scored 37 points and 26 points respectively. James no longer needs to shoulder all the load on the offensive end and continues to use his series ability to control the game. "I said it during training yesterday that I am compatible with anyone. I don't understand why this would be a problem. What is going on with these people?" James responded.

"It's been a tough time mentally for me. This is the first time in my career that I've been unable to start a season since I started playing basketball at age 9. I've never missed a season opener before and I don't have to worry about team chemistry. I can adapt to anyone quickly, but you know, just Observation first, I have been observing the first 14 games, and I missed the first 14 games. We are a great team. Everyone likes to be with each other, fight for each other, and sacrifice for each other."

After returning to the court, James was full of motivation and the Lakers performed gratifyingly this season. By winning the game against the Jazz, the Lakers have won their last three consecutive victories and continue to rank fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 11 wins and 4 losses, firmly holding on to the Nuggets and Rockets. After the game, when reporters asked James if he was willing to review his career, his attitude was extremely firm: "No, throughout my entire career, I have not been able to do it (review my career). I think I have to wait until I retire before I can truly enjoy the review process." As for the moment, he naturally wants to challenge for the championship again with his teammates.