No player in NBA history has played in more games than LeBron James. Or scored more points. Or made more All-Star teams. We could go on.
The Los Angeles Lakers star broke his latest record on Saturday simply by stepping foot on the court for his team’s game against the Orlando Magic. It was the 1,612th appearance of his career, breaking a tie with Boston Celtics great Robert Parish atop the NBA leaderboard.
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James was already the record-holder when factoring in his 292 playoff appearances, which bring his total up to 1,904 games.
It was a victorious record-breaking game as well, with the Lakers winning 105-104 off a game-winning 3-pointer from Luka Kennard. James finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
It was the Lakers’ ninth consecutive win, though it did come with the potential cost of a one-game suspension for Luka Dončić. James’ co-star picked up his 16th technical foul of the season, triggering an automatic ban unless the tech is rescinded.
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The games played record is hardly James’ most prestigious, but it is a testament to the longevity that has allowed him to continue performing at an All-Star level at age 41. He arrived in the NBA in 2003 at 18 years old and has performed at a standout level ever since while never missing more than half a season due to injury.
Entering Saturday, James was already the NBA’s all-time leader in points (43,229), field goals (15,884), All-Star selections (22), All-NBA selections (13 first-team and 21 total), seasons played (23), playoff games (292) and, to be fair, turnovers (5,620). He’s also fourth on the assists list, sixth on the steals list and fifth on the triple-doubles list.
When will LeBron James retire?
James’ place in history is obviously secure. The question now is how many games he has left in him. There is rampant speculation about what he’ll do this offseason, with his choices including retirement, a return to the Lakers or perhaps a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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This season has seen James post some of the lowest numbers of his career and miss more than a few games to injury, including a 14-game stretch to open the season due to sciatica. He has already ended his All-Star starting streak, his All-NBA streak and his 10-point streak, all unprecedented in league history.