LeBron James was already an NBA star before VJ Edgecombe was born. More than two decades later, the two Philadelphia 76ers teammates combined for a play that earned James another place in basketball history.
With 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter Sunday, James found Edgecombe for a layup that extended Philadelphia’s lead over the Indiana Pacers to 128-119.
It was James’ 11th assist of the afternoon and the 12,092nd of his career, moving him past Jason Kidd into third place on the NBA’s all-time assists list.
The NBA celebrated the achievement on its official X account following Philadelphia’s 131-124 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
James finished with 15 points, six rebounds and 11 assists.
“I had a lot of great teammates,” James said during his postgame television interview. “You gotta have teammates that can put the ball in the hole.”
NBA Celebrates LeBron James’ Historic Assists Milestone
James surpassed Kidd’s career total of 12,091 assists, leaving only John Stockton (15,806) and Chris Paul (12,552) ahead of him.
For the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, joining another exclusive statistical club carried special significance.
“I think my job is just try to put it on time, on target, lead them to the hole,” James said, describing his approach to creating scoring opportunities.
“Anytime I’m in any list in NBA history, I love the history of the game. I love the players that came before me. It’s super honorable.”
The accomplishment highlights a part of James’ game that sometimes gets overshadowed by his scoring records.
He has always considered passing an essential part of basketball.
“From the moment I picked up a basketball, when I first started playing like recreation basketball, five on five, I always got a joy and a kick out of seeing my teammates score,” James said.
That mentality remains intact in his 24th NBA season.
LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe Share Remarkable Age Connection
The player who helped James reach the milestone wasn’t even alive when the four-time NBA champion entered the league in 2003.
Edgecombe, 21, was born July 30, 2005, nearly two years after James made his NBA debut.
The second-year guard has even joked about the 20-year age difference between them.
“He’s exactly old enough to be my dad, which is crazy,” Edgecombe told ESPN’s Malika Andrews in October.
He also pointed out that James’ son, Bronny, is older than him.
That generational gap added another layer to Sunday’s milestone.
James was already an established NBA star before Edgecombe was born. Now, the two are sharing the same court and helping Philadelphia emerge as an early Eastern Conference contender.
The Sixers improved to 11-3 despite playing without Joel Embiid, who remained sidelined because of right foot plantar fascia injury management.
Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 31 points, while Tyrese Maxey added 27.
Edgecombe finished with 11 points and six assists. Pascal Siakam scored 31 for Indiana.
Twenty-three years after entering the NBA, James continues to climb the record books.
And fittingly, the pass that secured his latest milestone went to a teammate young enough to be his son.
NBA Makes LeBron James Announcement After 76ers’ Win Over Pacers