By taking the court, James passed one-time opponent and Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki for fourth all-time in games played. James, who turned 40 years old last week, has suited up in 1,523 total games and now trails only Robert Parish (1,611), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) and Vince Carter (1,541) in that category.

LeBron James finishes with 30 points, breaking Michael Jordan's record for most career 30-point games in the Lakers' 119-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Still, speculation about his eventual retirement has followed James throughout the latter portion of his career, both before and after the Lakers selected his son, Bronny, in the second round and the pair made father-son NBA history by being the first to appear in the same game.