LeBron James ties NBA games-played record held by Robert Parish
lebron-james-ties-games-played-record
MIAMI — LeBron James appeared in the 1,611th game of his career on Thursday night against the Miami Heat, drawing even with Hall of Famer Robert Parish for the most regular-season games in NBA history.
James reached the milestone one day after logging 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting in a road victory over the Houston Rockets. Following that game, the 41-year-old forward boarded a late flight, checked into his Miami hotel around 5 a.m., and spent much of Thursday receiving treatment on an arthritic left foot before suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Parish, who set the record on April 9, 1996, when he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 1,560 games and extended it to 1,611 before retiring in 1997, welcomed the new co-leader.
“If anyone is deserving of breaking the iron-man record, I would say LeBron James is,” Parish told ESPN by phone. “He takes such good care of himself … It’s a testament to not only my longevity, but LeBron’s longevity.”
James, in his 23rd season, entered Thursday averaging 21.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds. Parish averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in his final season with the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls.
The four-time champion said last week that availability has always been central to his approach. “You can’t be a leader and you can’t practice what you preach if you’re not available to your teammates,” James noted.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick credited James’ “competitive stamina” for his continued production. “His ability to put so much focus and intent into his day — that’s how you last, that’s how you improve, that’s how you stay healthy,” Redick said, echoing Heat president Pat Riley’s mantra of keeping “the main thing the main thing.”
Asked where James ranks among the sport’s elite, Parish replied, “They got to make room for LeBron. LeBron is an all-time great. They got to pull up an extra chair and tell some guys to slide over.”
Source: ESPN
