LeBron James equals Robert Parish’s record for most games played in NBA history.
MIAMI — Following a game on Wednesday in Houston, LeBron James traveled across the country overnight, arriving at his Miami hotel around 5 a.m. After receiving treatment for his arthritic left foot throughout the day, he took to the court for the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, marking a significant milestone against his former team.
Thursday marked the 1,611th game of James’ career, equaling Hall of Famer Robert Parish for the all-time games played record.
Parish, reflecting on the dedication that the 41-year-old James demonstrates to continue playing in his 23rd season, expressed his acceptance of someone else surpassing his record.
“If anyone is worthy of breaking the ironman record, I would say LeBron James is,” Parish conveyed to ESPN during a phone conversation on Thursday. “Because he takes exceptional care of himself. … His commitment to fitness and his dietary choices resonate with how I viewed my own fitness and nutrition. Thus, it serves as a testament to both my longevity and LeBron’s longevity.”
Parish — who established the record on April 9, 1996, by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total of 1,560 games and extended it before retiring in 1997 with 1,611 games — anticipated that someone would eventually break his record.
“Oh, no, no,” Parish responded when asked if he believed his record, which stood for nearly three decades, was unbreakable. “I thought the record would eventually be surpassed.”
As James neared the milestone last week, he was inquired about the upcoming achievement.
“It’s not something I aimed to accomplish,” he stated. “The one principle I have always held is that you cannot be a leader or practice what you preach if you are not available to your teammates. I have always taken pride in being as available as possible throughout my career, stepping onto the court every night and maintaining my physical condition.”
James equaled the record in impressive style, with the Lakers entering Miami on a seven-game winning streak and James coming off one of his best performances of the season, scoring 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting — including six dunks — in Wednesday’s 124-116 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Parish averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds during his final season at age 43 with the Chicago Bulls in 1996-97. In contrast, James entered Thursday averaging 21.4 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds this season for the Lakers.
“He’s still playing at an All-Star level,” Parish remarked, “which is equally remarkable.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick attributes James’ “competitive stamina” as the reason for his continued impact more than two decades into his professional career.
“His capacity to concentrate and commit to his daily routine — that’s how you endure, that’s how you progress, that’s how you maintain health and remain available to play in that many games,” Redick stated before the Heat game.
Redick then paraphrased Heat president Pat Riley’s philosophy to illustrate the mindset James brings to the game.
“Whatever the quote is, ‘Make sure you make the main thing the main thing,’ and he’s prioritized basketball as the main thing for a long time,” Redick noted.
With James achieving yet another milestone to his already impressive resume, which includes the most points scored in league history, the highest number of All-Star appearances, four championships, four Finals MVPs, and four regular-season MVPs, Parish — who played alongside Larry Bird and Michael Jordan — was asked where James ranks among the all-time greats.
“Oh, they need to make room for LeBron,” Parish told ESPN. “LeBron is an all-time great. They need to pull up an extra chair and ask some guys to shift over.”
