NBA superstar Lebron James of the Los Angeles Lakers broke the league’s record for most career minutes played in the regular season on Thursday night.
James logged 34 minutes on the court against the Sacramento Kings, bringing his career total to 57,471 minutes and surpassing Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 57,446.
Why It Matters
“Already the all-time leader in career points, James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar with 34 minutes in L.A.’s 113-100 victory over Sacramento, giving him 57,471 in 1,517 games played,” the NBA wrote in a press release.
During the Lakers win on Thursday over the Kings, James also surpassed the 10,000 point mark during his tenure with the Los Angeles team.
“He ranks No. 13 in team history (10,002) and needs 600 more points this season to move ahead of Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes (10,601) for No. 10. Along the way, he’d also pass Hall of Famers George Mikan (No. 11, 10,156 points) and Vern Mikkelsen (No. 12, 10,062),” the NBA said.
What To Know
James recently returned to play with the Lakers last weekend after being away for eight days. His status leading up to Sunday’s game was a mystery. He missed last Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to left foot injury management.
However, prior to that, he was away from the team for personal reasons. After the game on Sunday, James and the Lakers remained silent on the reason he was away and how crucial it was to get those days of rest.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick previously said James was away from the team for personal reasons, but the four-time NBA champion later provided more details on the absence.
“I had an opportunity to take more days and get my mind, body and everything where I wanted it to be for tonight,” James said. “And it worked out.”
“I listen to more than just myself because if it was up to just me, I probably would’ve played in the Portland game, and (I’m) not sure if I would’ve played in the Minnesota game, but it would’ve been hard to keep me away from it,” he said. “I have a team and I gotta listen to them as well. They look out for my best interest.”
What People Are Saying
After James surpassed Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most career regular season minutes played, he received praise from the NBA and the Lakers.
“Congrats to @KingJames of the @Lakers for becoming the NBA‘s all-time leader in TOTAL MINUTES PLAYED in the regular season!” the NBA wrote in a post on X, formerly
James also spoke to media about the accolade after the game, saying that his teammates said that he is “old as hell.”
