LeBron James steals another NBA scoring record from Michael Jordan

Most great basketball players are designers, with their own signature looks. LeBron James has been a tailor, and the court has been his atelier. Over the course of his career, he has made alterations to his game in order to adapt to his teammates, his opponents, and the league. James has played long enough to witness the game change, and he's had to evolve with it to outpace Father Time.

It's no secret that James is on his last legs, but he is still capable of producing magic on the hardwood. On Sunday, James posted one of the most prolific scoring performances of his career. He went 13-for-17 and finished with 40 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 116-104 victory against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Centers. James finished with nine 3-pointers, tying his career high.

The performance helped James claim another record.

LeBron James passes Michael Jordan for most 30-point games

James now holds the record for most 30-point games in NBA history. He surpassed Michael Jordan, who held the record with 671 games. James and Jordan are far ahead of third place, which is held by Wilt Chamberlain with 557 games.

Longevity certainly played a role in claiming the record. James has played in 414 more games than Jordan. Jordan had his last 30-point game against the New York Knicks on March 9, 2003, in his 1,053rd career game. James, who has played 1,486 career games, took 427 more games than Jordan to tie the record and 433 more games to break it.

Still, the consistency and longevity are commendable, and it isn't that simple to compare players at different positions, especially in different eras. Jordan was a deadly shooting guard who generated most of his team's offense, but there are plenty of other statistical categories in which James has outpaced Jordan.

Most of James' fireworks against the Nets came in the fourth quarter. The Lakers took an early lead before the Nets managed to trim the deficit to eight points in the fourth quarter. Then, James took over. He scored four 3-pointers in a five-minute span to extend the Lakers' lead back to 18 points.

NBA teams shoot nearly twice as many 3-pointers now as they did when James began his career two decades ago. Once known for powerful drives to the rim, his game has become less formulaic and more versatile.

The Easter showcase was only the 12th time in league history that a player made nine 3s and shot 90 percent or better from beyond the arc. James also joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history with multiple games of 40 points or more after age 39. James now has done it twice; Jordan, who played until he was 40, did it three times.