LeBron James sets unbelievable scoring record in loss to the Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers lost a tough game to the Los Angeles Clippers. But they also got to watch LeBron James do something no other NBA player has.

Incredible performances in losing efforts has, unfortunately, been an all-too-common occurrence for LeBron James and the Lakers this season. LeBron has put up 30 or more points 19 different times this season but just 10 of those efforts have resulted in a Lakers’ win.

His latest Quixotic masterpiece came against the Clippers Tuesday night. LeBron put up 46 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, shooting 16-of-29 from the field, 9-of-14 from beyond the arc and avoiding even a single turnover. The Lakers lost by 18.

The loss always stings but the record LeBron broke in this game might be a bit of a salve.

LeBron James is now the only player in NBA history to score 40+ against all 30 teams

As ESPN’s Dave McMenamin pointed out, LeBron’s 43 points against the Clippers gave him an achievement no one else in NBA history has managed. To be fair, the fact that there actually are 30 NBA teams now means it was feasible for him and not for historic greats like Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others. But that doesn’t make it any less impressive.

LeBron’s 43 points in this game also brought him one step closer to the all-time NBA scoring record. As of today, he trails Abdul-Jabbar by just 177 career points. Barring an absolute calamity of epic proportions he’ll break the record before the end of the season and likely before the All-Star break.

It’s been a record-breaking season for LeBron but we all understand if he’d trade a few of those points for a few more wins.

Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.