LeBron James and super-team 76ers lit up Knicks – Michael Jordan wasn’t taking over MSG at 41

LeBron James almost pulled off a triple-double at 41-years-old on the NBA’s opening night. The King of basketball history also once again did something that Michael Jordan never touched. MJ will always have his perfect 6-0 record in the NBA Finals as the ultimate debate throwdown. But James scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out seven assists, stole one ball and blocked another in 34 aggressive minutes of play on Tuesday night. Throw in that was a 106-100 victory for James and the super-team Philadelphia 76ers on a Madison Square Garden evening that was supposed to belong to Jalen Brunson and the reigning champion New York Knicks , and the sports world is already running out of words to describe James in his 24th pro season. No one has done this before in human history. Not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, not Kobe Bryant and definitely not Jordan. MJ was 34 in his famous ‘Last Dance’ season with the Chicago Bulls . He was the most dominant player in NBA history and set the standard for decades to come. Jordan began his final NBA season at 39, then turned 40 on February 17 in 2003. He scored 39 points on 13-of-22 shooting at Madison Square Garden just 20 days later for the Washington Wizards . But Jordan was 40 when he played his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, and James’ longevity is unmatched in league history. “It hits me that I am not going to be in a uniform anymore, and that’s not a terrible feeling,” Jordan said when he retired for the final time. “It’s not terrible. It’s something that I have come to grips with and it’s time.” In 2026, James has teamed with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid , Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe to give The King the strongest starting five he’s ever played with — at 41-years-old. How good could these 76ers become? They have three players ranked on talkSPORT’s top 20 players in the NBA list — and Embiid could become a fourth. James even played center during the 76ers’ opening night win, placing him in Magic Johnson territory as one of the most diverse and well-rounded basketball players the league has ever seen. “Just try to have that communication just at a high level,” said James, who’s acknowledged that getting more out of a healthy Embiid is critical for Philly in 2026-27. James already holds NBA records for games played (1,623), points scored (43,454) and minutes played (61,064). Comparing Greatness Michael Jordan at 40: 20 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 37 minutes, 44.5 FG %, 82.1 FT%, 29.1 3P % LeBron James last season at 40: 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 33.2 minutes, 51.5 FG %, 73.7 FT %, 31.7 3P % Jordan was already done at 41 and moving into his post-NBA career, eventually accumulating an estimated net worth of $4.7 billion. James of the NBA is just getting started with his latest super team and could face the Knicks again in the Eastern Conference finals back at MSG in May. All hail the king of NBA longevity. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows. On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league .