LeBron James made his season debut Tuesday night, helping lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 140–126 win over the Utah Jazz and officially playing in a league-record 23rd NBA season. The 40-year-old superstar had missed the Lakers’ first 14 games while recovering from sciatica, a nerve issue that affected his lower back and right side, but returned to the starting lineup and played 30 minutes in his first game since last season.

With his appearance, James became the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons, breaking a tie with Vince Carter, who retired after 22 seasons. James eased into the game but quickly found his rhythm, orchestrating the Lakers’ offense and taking control in the second half as Los Angeles pulled away. He finished with 11 points, 12 assists, and 3 rebounds, guiding the Lakers to a season-high 140 points. His driving layup in the third quarter extended his historic streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 1,293, a run that dates back to January 6, 2007.

James also added another milestone to his resume by hitting two first-half three-pointers, passing Reggie Miller for sixth on the NBA’s all-time three-point list. Already the league’s all-time leading scorer, he continues to climb other leaderboards as well. He entered Tuesday’s game only 50 games behind Robert Parish for the all-time record in games played and is now 496 assists shy of Jason Kidd for third place in career assists.

James entered the NBA as an 18-year-old No. 1 pick in 2003 and will turn 41 in December, yet continues to perform at an elite level. Last season, in what was then a record-tying 22nd year, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over 70 games, further cementing his status as one of the greatest and most durable players in league history.