On October 29, 2003, LeBron James made his NBA debut vs. the Sacramento Kings, and now 22 seasons later the "Kid From Akron" has broken the record for most regular-season minutes played in NBA history.
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BREAKING: LeBron James has now played the most minutes in NBA History 😱 pic.twitter.com/HI8zPuJeJF
— SleeperHoops (@Sleeper_Hoops) December 20, 2024
That is, LeBron came into Thursday's game needing only 10 minutes to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record (57,446), and in storybook fashion he broke it vs. the Kings in Sacramento, where it all started.
LeBron James passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most regular-season minutes played in NBA History. 👑
Catch the Lakers vs. Kings LIVE on SN360 or stream on Sportsnet+! pic.twitter.com/Xcj2liV0b9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 20, 2024
To note, back during the 2022-23 season LeBron also broke six-time MVP Kareem's all-time scoring record (38,387) vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder (2/7/23).
LeBron James hits the fadeaway and passes Kareem as the new all-time NBA leading scorer pic.twitter.com/QHuh4cpoOw
— Troydan (@Troydan) February 8, 2023
In view of his longevity, including playoff minutes (11,838), LeBron has played nearly 70,000 total minutes. For those wondering, this is the equivalent of playing 1,458 full games.
Since entering the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2003 out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, LeBron now has more career points (41,040) and more career minutes (57,472) than any other player to ever play the game.
Not to mention, he is also 4th in career assists (11,234), 5th in triple-doubles (119), 7th in 3-point field goals made (2,461), and 8th in career steals (2,292).
One week away from his 40th birthday, LeBron, as the oldest player in the NBA, is still contributing 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists on a nightly basis, in addition to putting up seven triple-doubles this season.
LeBron spoke on the significance of setting the 'most minutes played' record:
"It's the commitment to the craft and the passion for the game. I don't take much time in the off season no matter if I was making the 10 Finals appearances. I've been able to play a lot of minutes and for the most part be available to my teammates and franchises I've played for."
Related: 20-Year-Old LeBron James And 39-Year-Old LeBron James Both Make History
