Fun Facts & Red Flags - Players Edition
I was hoping to do a set of fun facts today but not all 30 teams have played the first game after the break – so, let’s do the first Players’ edition of Fun Facts & Red Flags.
Let’s start with my favourite bit: which oldest player record did LeBron James break today?
LeBron James
24.7 PTS 7.7 REB 8.9 AST 34.6 MIN | FG: 51.6% 3P: 39.7% FT: 77.0%
On March 27th, 2004, 19-year-old LeBron James became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point game.
On February 6th, 2025, 40-year-old LeBron James became the oldest player in NBA history to record a 40-point game.
And then, he did it again.
On Thursday night, on the second night of a back-to-back, LeBron James surpassed himself as the oldest player in NBA history to score 40+ points in a game.
Only two of the thirty 40-year-olds to play a game in the NBA have recorded a 40-point game. Michael Jordan did it once in 2003. LeBron James has done it twice this month.
Hilarious fun fact: LeBron James also became the oldest player in NBA history to commit double-digit turnovers in a game with his 11 on Thursday. James had has 10+ turnovers in 3 regular season games in his career & has somehow won all three.
Victor Wembanyama
24.3 PTS 11.0 REB 3.7 AST 33.2 MIN | FG: 47.6% 3P: 35.2% FT: 83.6%
I have put the words “Only Wemby has more” in my notes so many times this season, in attempt to contextualize what another player is doing. Seeing the news that he was out for the season with such a scary diagnosis had me really sad for him, but I was part of the collective sigh of relief after hearing that he’s on track to be ready for the start of next season.
Before games on Thursday, Wembanyama had made 47 shots from 28-feet & beyond – tied for 2nd most in the NBA. Who is he tied with you ask? Steph Curry. Wembanyama was shooting 39.2% from that distance, better than Curry’s 36.2%.
Now, the fun fact – Wembanyama is leading the NBA with 176 total blocks. As of Friday morning, he’s blocked 72 more shots than the player with the second most (Lopez), despite playing 7 fewer games.
There’s a strong possibility that Wembanyama wins the blocks title this season, despite his year ending at 46 games. Yes, he’ll no longer qualify for the Defensive Player of the Year award he was favoured to win, but league leaderboards have different qualifiers. Wembanyama would average 3.0 blocks if he had 176 over 58 games, which would still be 0.6 more blocks per game than Walker Kessler who currently sits second.
Nikola Jokić
29.7 PTS 12.7 REB 10.2 AST 36.0 MIN | FG: 57.6% 3P: 44.9% FT: 82.1%
Here’s what Jokic is doing over the Nuggets’ 9-game win streak: 30.0 PTS, 11.6 REB & 10.9 AST on 61.7% from the field & 37.5% from three.
Red Flag (sarcastic pls): Jokic’s 3-point shooting is down, he’s ONLY shooting 37.5% from three over the last 9 games, down from 47.2% in his first 41 games.
Jokic shot 47.2% on 4.3 attempts from three over his first 41. He’s shooting 37.5% on 6.2 3PA over the last 9. He was making 2.0 threes per game in his first 41 & 2.3 in his last 9. Be right back, need to take a second to re-watch highlights.
Dyson Daniels
13.8 PTS 5.5 REB 4.0 AST 34.0 MIN | FG: 46.7% 3P: 32.7% FT: 62.0%
Here’s an insane one, courtesy of Hawks PR. Dyson Daniels is leading the league with 152 steals, the most by a player in a single-season since James Harden & Paul George in 2018-19.
Daniels is on pace to finish the season with ~230 steals, a number that hasn’t been reached since Gary Payton had 231 in 1995-96. Dyson Daniels was born in 2003.
Paul George
16.2 PTS 5.2 REB 4.4 AST 32.0 MIN | FG: 42.8% 3P: 36.2% FT: 82.1%
Red Flag alert: It’s been 28 days since Paul George scored over 20 points in a game. He’s been held to under 20 points in 7 straight, averaging 11.0 PTS on 54.2 TS% in that span. This is the longest he’s gone without scoring 20 in a game since the 2011-12 season, his second year in the NBA.
Remember, George has a $49.5 M cap hit this season. The Sixers have now lost 4 straight games with all 3 of Embiid, George & Maxey in the lineup.
Stephen Curry
32.2 PTS, 4.7 REB, 5.3 AST, 35-for-96 3P in his last 6 games.
I need all the old guys to teach me what they’re doing to perform like this. Steph Curry, at the young age of 36-years-old (37 in less than a month!!) is averaging 32.2 points & 35.4 minutes in his last 6 games.
Here’s a list of players 36 & older to average at least 32.0 points over a 6-game span in NBA history:
Stephen Curry in the last 6
Kevin Durant in December
LeBron James (many, many times)
Michael Jordan (3 times in 2002)
Little bit of a pivot today but if this is something you read till the end, let me know because I have many fun facts on some other guys.