LeBron James Stats Tonight: How did the Lakers superstar fare against Timberwolves on opening night? (Oct. 22) | 2024-25 NBA season

LeBron James has officially entered Year 22 in the NBA. "The King" and the LA Lakers opened their 2024-25 season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, marking the first regular-season game under new head coach JJ Redick.

Both teams made the playoffs last season, with the Lakers bowing out in the first round to the Denver Nuggets, while the Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they fell to the Dallas Mavericks.

Game 1 was an opportunity for LeBron James to showcase his skills at age 39, and he proved he still has a lot of gas left in the tank, tallying 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in nearly 35 minutes of play.

Here are LeBron's stats from tonight’s game:

PLAYER	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	STL	BLK	TO	PF	=+/-
LeBron James	34:39	16	5	4	7	16	43.8	1	4	25.0	1	1	100	0	5	0	2	2	3	-6

Year 22 holds special significance for LeBron James, as it allowed him to play alongside his son, Bronny James, creating the first active father-son duo in NBA history. The two checked in the game with four minutes left in the second quarter to make history.

During the Lakers' media day, LeBron spoke about how much Bronny's presence on the team means to him.

“It's a pure joy to be able to come to work every day, put in the hard work, work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow,” James said.

“We push each other, he push me, I push him. We push our teammates and vice versa. So just a very joyous moment for not only for myself, but for our family," he added.

LeBron James ties NBA record in 22nd season

By playing in his first game of the 2024-25 season, LeBron James has officially tied Vince Carter's record for the most seasons played in the NBA at 22. While Carter averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in his final season across 60 games, James has continued to dominate late into his career.

Last season, he posted averages of 25.7 ppg, 8.3 apg and 7.3 rpg, shooting 54.0% from the field, 41.0% from 3-point range and 75.0% from the free throw line.

LeBron James, who will turn 40 in December, is the league’s oldest active player. As of opening night, only five players were aged 39 or older: James, P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul and Taj Gibson.

To crack the top 10 oldest players in NBA history, LeBron James would need to play two more seasons. John Stockton, who holds 10th spot, played until he was 41 years and 35 days old.

The oldest player in NBA history was Nat Hickey, who played until he was 44 years and 363 days old.