LeBron focused on 'not falling out of love with the process' at age 40

LeBron James made NBA history yet again Tuesday night, becoming the first player to reach 50,000 career points in the regular season and playoffs.

Asked after the Los Angeles Lakers' 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans how he's able to sustain a high level of play at this stage of his career, the 40-year-old said the key is to love what you do.

"Just not falling out of love with the process," he told reporters, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Continuing to fall in love with the process, that's the hardest thing, every single year. You know, it's going to be a long season. It's 82 games, 41 of them are on the road. It's a lot of travel. And as you get older, it affects you even differently, and if you have a family, it affects you even differently. So the process. Trying not to fall out of love with the process is the hardest thing."

The Lakers improved to 39-21 on the season with Tuesday's win and currently sit second in the Western Conference standings, 10.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

James is averaging 24.9 points, 8.5 assists, eight rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game this season.