NBA superstar LeBron James marked his birthday with a massive 40-point double-double night in Atlanta, to inspire the Los Angeles Lakers to a morale-boosting 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks at the State Farm Arena on Friday.

James who turned 38 on Friday, rolled back the years to post a staggering 47 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists to just miss out on a triple-double evening.

The four-time NBA champion was in full MVP mode as steered the Lakers from a 15-point deficit at half-time to a nine-point win at the final buzzer.

James dropped a combined 29 points in the remaining period after netting 13 points in the third quarter before adding 16 points in the fourth.

 Speaking to the media after the games James said he wanted to make good on his promise of a 40-point night to his teammates prior to the game.

“I called it, I told them before the game.” He said “I had to make it happen.

“I didn’t even know it was three [games] in four nights. I just knew I had to get my mind and body ready to go.”

 He added that having his family’s presence at the game played a role in his performance as well- “It’s a treat to have my family here and support me on the road, on my birthday.”

“It’s very important to me because they are the rock of everything I do – my mom and my wife and my family.”

It was essentially a case of déjà vu for James who scored 48 points against the Hawks on his 25th birthday in 2009.

The Lakers however remain third from the bottom of the Western Conference, while the Hawks stay ninth in the East.