Living and playing, basketball legend LeBron James reached another career milestone Wednesday night, securing sole possession of second place on the NBA’s all-time regular season games played list. The achievement came during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, marking James’ 1,561st career game – one more than Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
It’s still hard to fathom that LeLongevity is now in his 21st season. The 39-year-old superstar trails only Robert Parish (1,611 games) for the top spot. James has appeared in 418 games for the Lakers since joining the franchise in 2018, adding to his 849 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers and 294 with the Miami Heat earlier in his career.
As we are witnessing, the four-time NBA champion continues rewriting the record books, having entered the top five for games played earlier this season on November 16. With just 50 more appearances needed to surpass Parish, James could claim the top spot next season – his 23rd in the league. He’s maintained remarkable durability, playing at least 55 games in the last four seasons, including 71 contests in 2023-24.
But wait, James is also approaching another shooting milestone, needing three more three-pointers to pass Reggie Miller (2,560) for sixth place on the all-time list. With two regular-season games remaining and a playoff berth secured, the Lakers may choose to rest their veteran star before postseason play begins.