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LeBron James became the first NBA player to reach 40,000 career regular-season points in Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets.<\/b><\/p>\n
But he described it as “bittersweet” after his Los Angeles Lakers side lost 124-114 to the defending NBA champions.<\/p>\n
“Being the first player to do something, it’s pretty cool in this league,” said the 39-year-old, who scored 26 points on the night.<\/p>\n
“You just know the history, you know the greats that have come through.”<\/p>\n
James scored the historic basket with 10 minutes and 39 seconds remaining in the second quarter with a driving lay-up from the left side of the basket to give the Lakers a 37-32 lead.<\/p>\n
The crowd gave James a standing ovation during a timeout and the ball he used to reach the milestone was removed from the game.<\/p>\n
However, the Nuggets stretched their winning streak to six games thanks to 35 points from Nikola Jokic to leave James with mixed feelings.<\/p>\n
“The main thing is always the main thing and that’s the win,” he said. “And I hated that had to happen in a defeat especially versus a team that plays extremely well.<\/p>\n
“We played some good basketball but weren’t able to close it out, so [it’s] bittersweet, but I enjoyed every moment on the floor.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n