LeBron James is closing in on 40,000 career points

In his 21st season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is still going strong. He may not be the best player in the NBA anymore, and according to some, he’s not even a top-10 player, but in any given game, he can still be the best.

An excellent example was Wednesday night’s game versus the Los Angeles Clippers when he outscored the Clippers 19-16 in the fourth quarter while leading the Lakers back from a 21-point deficit and toward a 116-112 win.

It was the largest fourth-quarter deficit a James-led team had ever overcome to achieve victory.

Now, the 39-year-old, who is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is nearing yet another major accomplishment: 40,000 career points. He needs just 40 points to get there.

The Lakers will play the Washington Wizards on Thursday, and while it is unknown whether he will play, there seems to be a feeling that he will suit up.

One may expect him to go out and try to secure his 40,000th point on Thursday, but it is much more likely he will put the focus on the team, especially since the Wizards are tied for the league’s worst record.

If James doesn’t get there on Thursday, he will likely do so on Saturday. That’s when the Lakers will host the Denver Nuggets. Of course, a win against the defending world champs would be much more important than James reaching yet another scoring milestone.

Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire