Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James moved past Derek Fisher into No. 2 on the franchise's all-time 3-pointers made list with a first-quarter triple against the Detroit Pistons on Monday. LeBron now only trails Kobe Bryant on the list, who still has nearly 1,000 more 3-pointers made in a Lakers uniform.
James has now hit 848 triples during his Lakers tenure, with Fisher sitting at 846 and Bryant at 1,827. Unfortunately for LeBron and the Lakers, they needed him to be at 849 in order to have a chance to beat the Pistons.
Los Angeles tried to stage a late comeback from 11 points down in the final minutes and had a chance to tie the game on the final possession. James broke free for a great look from deep, but the shot clanged off the rim and Detroit pulled out a 117-114 win.
The missed game-tying 3-pointer spoiled a terrific all-around performance from LeBron. The soon-to-be 40-year-old recorded his eighth triple double of the season with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
But it wasn't enough. The Lakers shot 54.1% overall and 14-of-30 from 3-point range as a team, but 20 total turnovers led to 28 Pistons points. Los Angeles dropped to 16-13 on the season and snapped a three-game losing streak.
Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images LeBron James wasn't known as a 3-point shooter early in his career, but he has developed that shot over the years. Last season, he shot a career-best 41.0% from deep on 5.1 attempts per game. It was only the second time in his career in which he hit the 40% mark on 3-pointers.
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That career-best mark coincided with a lowering of his 3-point volume. He reached a peak of 8.0 3-pointers per game in 2021-22 and then took 6.9 per game in 2022-23, making only 32.1% of those attempts.
James hasn't been as successful on 3-pointers this season, making a respectable 35.3% on 5.7 attempts per game. For his career, he's a 34.8% 3-point shooter and is at 35.7% as a Laker.
It's somewhat ironic that LeBron just accomplished this feat after airing his grievances over the amount of 3-pointers in today's game. He has played into it with his own 3-point volume, but even if he doesn't like it, he knows how important the shot is and will continue to take them.
James obviously won't catch Kobe's Lakers 3-point record, but he should be able to reach the 1,000 mark down the road.
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