It’s official. No player in NBA history has played in more regular season games than LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers star tied a three-decade record when he played against the Miami Heat on Thursday. It was his 1,611th career game, tying him with Boston Celtics great Robert Parish atop the NBA leaderboard. He started all but two games.
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James is already the record holder considering he has appeared in 292 postseason games, bringing his total to 1,903 postseason appearances.
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This record is not James’ most prestigious, but it is still a testament to his longevity, allowing him to continue to perform at an All-Star level at the age of 41. He entered the NBA in 2003 at the age of 18 and has been outstanding ever since, never missing more than half a season.
LeBron James has been around for a while. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
(Patrick McDermott via Getty Images)
Entering Thursday, James is the NBA’s all-time leader in points (43,210), field goals made (15,786), All-Star selections (22), All-NBA selections (13 first-team selections, 21 total), seasons played (23), playoff games played (292) and, to be fair, turnovers (5,617). He also ranks fourth in assists, sixth in steals and fifth in triple-doubles.
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James’s place in history is clearly secure. The question now is how many games are left in him. There has been widespread speculation about what he will do this offseason, with his options including retiring, returning to the Lakers or reuniting with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This season, James posted career-low numbers and missed multiple games due to injuries, including 14 games at the start of the season due to sciatica. He has lost his record as an All-Star starter, consecutive All-NBA selections and 10-point streak, all unprecedented in league history.
