ORLANDO — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this week that LeBron James is giving Father Time “hell.”
A couple of weeks ago, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reminisced over coaching James in the Olympics for Team USA, expressing how he still holds a “sense of gratitude” for his leadership among stars representing their country.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, time and time again, has answered questions about James’ longevity; the never-ending quest to determine _how_ James is still playing at 41 years old, still creating new firsts and surpassing all-time greats in the NBA record books.
“He’s getting selfish with the records,” Redick said Wednesday.
On Thursday, James tied Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in NBA history, his 1611th overall, when he suited up in Miami, where he won a pair of championships with the Heat.
James now stands alone. On Saturday night in Orlando, James officially played in his 1612nd game as first contact was made with the ball upon tipoff, more than any player before him.
“I’ve always wanted to be available to my teammates, either in Cleveland, here (in Miami), and now you know in L.A.,” James said when asked about tying Parish in Miami on Thursday. “It takes a lot. It’s a mental toll, man, trying to play a lot and being out there throughout this whole thing and then under the circumstances that I kind of been given.”
James hasn’t just claimed the most points or field goals in league history. Now his storied career adds a milestone marking longevity across the league – a testament to how much James has been available to play across his 23-year career.
“This is what he does,” Kevin Durant said of James, who has played in at least half of the games of each season of his career, after the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. “He’s built for this, since he was a kid.
“Me? I think he could play till he’s 45 years old.”
James has been guaranteed a place in the Hall of Fame for a long while. He’s a four-time MVP and a four-time champion, winning a title for each franchise for which he’s suited up. When asked Thursday if these moments still resonate with James, his coach confirmed it.
“I do think they matter to LeBron because I think he understands the importance of his position and he talks all the time about not cheating the game and recognizing that he is one of the all-time greats,” Redick said. “With that comes a lot of responsibility and he does everything he can to live up to that responsibility.”
That responsibility brings appreciation, James said Thursday, his love for basketball setting him on the route to a new record Saturday.
Throngs of Lakers fans holding James’ jersey stood along the path from the visitor’s locker room at the Kia Center. James exited, as the locker room’s double doors thrust open, wearing a black hoodie that covered his wireless earbuds blasting music which the Lakers’ star mumbled and occasionally sang along as he took the court in Orlando.
Flickers of flashes from phone cameras followed James from behind a VIP area rope on his way to the bench, where he removed his earbuds and handed his belongings to a team staffer before heading to center court to begin his pregame dribbling routine.
James was ready to play – for the 1612nd time.
“It’s pretty awesome to see him,” teammate Luka Doncic said earlier this week when asked about James, “every day just experience greatness.”