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LeBron James made history on Tuesday night. In his long-awaited regular season debut on Nov. 18, the 40-year-old superstar officially became the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons, breaking his tie with Vince Carter. And while his return energized the arena, the Los Angeles Lakers found themselves in a surprising back-and-forth battle before finally pulling away to beat the Utah Jazz 140-126. Utah came out firing, pushing the pace and dropping 71 points in the first half. The Lakers, meanwhile, were working LeBron back into the lineup after he missed training camp and the first 14 games with a sciatica issue. But Los Angeles locked in after halftime, exploding for 73 second-half points to take control. Here’s a full breakdown of LeBron James’ performance in his 2025-26 season debut. LeBron James’ Stats vs. the Jazz Points: 11 Field goals: 4-of-7 3-pointers: 2-of-3 Free throws: 1-of-4 Rebounds: 3 Assists: 12 Steals: 1 Blocks: 0 Turnovers: 1 Fouls: 0 Plus/minus: +1 Minutes: 30 LeBron returned with a classic playmaking performance — a double-double (11 points, 12 assists) — in 30 minutes on the floor. LeBron’s Emotional Return: “A Lot of Joy” LeBron was the last player to run out during introductions and the first to be announced before tip-off, drawing the loudest cheers from the sold-out crowd of 18,997 at Crypto.com Arena. And every flashy pass had fans roaring. Even though Luka Doncic stole the scoring spotlight with 37 points and 10 assists, the night still belonged to LeBron’s comeback. “It was just fun to be out there with the guys,” LeBron said. “It’s been rough mentally… I’ve never missed the beginning of a basketball season since I was nine years old.” By the time he checked out midway through the fourth quarter, he had pushed the Lakers to a 20-9 run and helped them build their biggest lead of the night. Coach JJ Redick praised his performance: “He played with the right spirit. Very unselfish. Didn’t force anything… Really good to have him back.” How LeBron Changed the Game LeBron’s return instantly boosted the Lakers’ offense: Austin Reaves scored 26 points on efficient shooting. Deandre Ayton finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds, crediting LeBron’s passes for several easy buckets. Jake LaRavia added 15 points, also benefiting from LeBron’s playmaking. “I’m sure with some of these passes he didn’t even see me cutting,” Ayton joked. “He’s making your life easy.” The Lakers ended up with their highest-scoring game of the season and shot a season-best 59.5% from the field. Reaves summed it up perfectly: “We have two of the best passers to ever touch a basketball… the game should be pretty easy.” Jazz Put Up a Fight Utah didn’t go quietly: Keyonte George: 34 points, 7 assists Lauri Markkanen: 31 points The Jazz led 36-27 after the first quarter and 71-67 at halftime. But the Lakers tightened their defense, holding Utah to just 36 points in the next 18 minutes, completely flipping the momentum. Milestones for LeBron Even with a modest scoring night, LeBron reached two major marks: His two early 3-pointers moved him past Reggie Miller to 6th all-time in NBA 3-pointers made. His third-quarter layup extended his record streak of double-digit scoring games to 1,293, a run that started in January 2007. What’s Next for the Lakers? After the win, the Lakers move to 11-4 on the season and now get a short break. Their next game? A rematch with the Jazz on Sunday in Salt Lake City. LeBron says the rhythm will come: “My wind was a little shaky… but everything tonight was as expected. I was happy I was able to keep up with the guys.” If Tuesday was any indication, LeBron’s 23rd season might still have plenty of magic left.

LeBron Returns After 14-Game Absence — Here’s Exactly How Many Points He Scored in Lakers vs. Jazz Thriller

November 19, 2025

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