LeBron James ties all-time NBA record for games played with 1,611th regular-season appearance
Robert Parish had held the all-time NBA record for most regular-season games played since 1996, when he broke a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; LeBron James entered Thursday's record-tying appearance having played 310 more games than the next closest player in the league
Friday 20 March 2026 08:10, UK
LeBron James played in his 1,611th regular-season game on Thursday night as the Los Angeles Lakers star tied Robert Parish for the all-time NBA record.
Parish has occupied the record for almost 30 years, but is now set to be leapfrogged by the 41-year-old.
James registered 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 134-126 to record their eighth straight win.
"I've always wanted to be available to my teammates, either in Cleveland, here, and now in LA," said James post-game. "It takes a lot. I mean, it's a mental toll, man, trying to play a lot."
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James holds NBA records with 23 seasons played, 22 All-Star selections and 21 All-NBA team selections, while topping the charts in points scored, minutes, field goals converted and field goals attempted.
He broke the record for most field goals in NBA history earlier this month with a 12-foot jumper in the Lakers' 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets, surpassing a benchmark that had been held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar since 1989.
"You just have to absolutely respect his level of competitive spirit," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "He's competing against not only the entire league, but he's also competing against Father Time - and he's giving Father Time hell."
James had been on the injury report after hitting his elbow on the court in the final minutes of Wednesday's win over the Houston Rockets, during which he went a tied-career-best 13 of 14 from the field.
"I think he understands the importance of his position," Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Thursday's win. "And he talks all the time about not cheating the game and recognizing that he is one of the all-time greats. With that comes a lot of responsibility, and he does everything he can to live up to that responsibility."
James entered Thursday's matchup having played 310 games more than the next closest player in Russell Westbrook, second among active players in the league.
"No player is better deserving to break that Ironman record, that 1,611 games played record, than LeBron," Parish told Sirius NBA Radio earlier this week. "He deserves it, in my opinion."
The same night saw 'MVP' chants directed towards Luka Doncic as he posted 60 points, the second-most he has scored in a game in his career behind the 73 he managed against the Atlanta Hawks in 2024. He also produced 60 against the New York Knicks back in 2022.
"It was very impressive, especially an away game in Miami," said Dončić. "To hear the whole crowd chanting MVP is what every player wants to hear, so I got a little goosebumps so it was pretty special."
