And if you understand the history of the sport, then there is no way you could ever forget Oscar Robertson.
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LeBron James reached yet another milestone on Monday, and the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar said he has no use for the historical comparisons that inevitably pop up when this happens.
James joined Oscar Robinson as the only other player in National Basketball Association history to be in the top 25 in career points and assists.
“He’s the guy who laid the foundation”, James said of Robertson. It moved James past Norm Nixon (6,386) for 25th on the assist list.
James finished the night with 13 assists.
The Golden State Warriors might be answering every possible challenge and critic that has annoyed them over the a year ago or so, but LeBron James has his say on the matter, and while he might sound a bit salty for bringing up the injury and health issue, he does have a point.
The Cavaliers’ star drove the lane, jumped and made a quick pass into the corner to Kevin Love, who knocked down a 3-pointer. He’s 19th all-time in scoring, and needs just six points to pass Reggie Miller for 18th. While he didn’t quite catch Miller, he moved into the company of Robertson, a do-it-all guard who is sometimes overlooked when some fans debate the game’s top players.
“It’s all about protecting home”, James said after a morning shootaround in Independence about eight hours before the game with Orlando.
Cavs coach David Blatt was left reflecting on another landmark night for James. “That’s an fantastic, incredible accomplishment”.
Kevin Durant returned from injury to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a comprehensive 111-89 win over the Utah Jazz.
“It felt good”, said Durant, who hit 10 of 13 shots from the field and three of six from three-point range.
James is averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists this season for the 11-3 Cavaliers.
The Milwaukee Bucks surprised the Detroit Pistons 109-88, while the Miami Heat were too good for the NY Knicks 95-78. Goran Dragic had 13 points and nine assists for the Heat, who went on a 36-8 run in the first half. His PPG dropped nearly ten full points and, eventually, many just figured this was what the future held for Love in Cleveland now that he wasn’t the focal point of the offense.
The Minnesota Timberwolves stretched the Philadelphia 76ers’ winless start to the season to 15 games by beating the Eastern Conference’s bottom side 100-95, with Andrew Wiggins scoring 17 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter.
James helped the Cavaliers to a 2-1 week, which included wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks, behind averages of 25.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
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Even the game they lost in the unbelievable streak, 99-90 to the Boston Celtics on April 10, deserves an asterisk because it occurred late in the 2014-15 season when LeBron James played only 26 minutes in an effort to keep him rested for the playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points, and Khris Middleton scored 16. Cleveland finished the game shooting over 50% behind the 3 point line and had four players finish the game in double figures.
