Few NBA players have thrown birthday celebrations quite like LeBron James did Friday night.
The Lakers forward, celebrating his 38th trip around the sun, put on a show against the Hawks in Atlanta to close out 2022. In 40 minutes of action, he exploded for 47 points—his most since last season, when he dropped 50 on Mar. 11 against the Wizards—to go with 10 rebounds and nine assists; Los Angeles won 130–121.
James's virtuoso performance drew acclaim from across the NBA world, including legendary center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose all-time scoring record is drawing within the King's sights.