LeBron James: NBA legend breaks unintended 30-year record in thrilling LA Lakers buzzer-beater win over Orlando Magic
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/09/16/image-4414b260-c386-47c6-af98-0a2675a5a091-68-310-310.jpeg)
Published 22/03/2026 at 14:07 GMT
React to this story
Is there anything LeBron James has not accomplished in the sport of basketball? The LA Lakers legend surpassed Robert Parish's record for most regular-season appearances on Saturday, stepping on the court for the 1,612th time. The Lakers pipped the Orlando Magic to a stirring 105-104 victory, courtesy of a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Luke Kennard, extending their win streak to nine.
Watch: Best of LeBron at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Video credit: TNT Sports
LeBron James insisted he never set out to break the record for most regular-season appearances in NBA history, but the icon did just that on Saturday.
James passed Robert Parish on his 1,612th outing, steering the LA Lakers to a thrilling 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic, with Luke Kennard hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to stun the Kia Center crowd.
Four-time NBA champion Parish, nicknamed 'The Chief', had himself broken the previous record of 1,560 in April 1996 before calling time on his career in 1997.
But while James knew that he was on course to beat Parish to top spot, the 41-year-old said the accolade was not on his radar when he began his professional career in 2003.
"It just kind of happened. It was not on the list of things that I wanted to accomplish," said James.
"I wanted to be the best player in this league at some point. I wanted to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, to ever play this game. I wanted to be an NBA champion.
"I wanted to possibly win rookie of the year, make All-Star appearances, win a gold medal, win some MVPs - those were some of my goals.
"But some of the stuff that's just been happening over the course of the last few years has been super-duper cool."
James scored 12 points in the Lakers' ninth consecutive win, registering six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
His team is now third in the Western Conference table, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, holding a 46-25 win record.
Despite the history-making feat, James was adamant that he changed nothing in anticipation of usurping Parish.
”It was a regular prep day. I mean, I kept it the same as the previous whatever 1,600, whatever the record is. But I knew once I stepped on the floor and the game began that I was breaking the record, and that’s a pretty cool thing,” said James.
”I said it the other night, the best thing you can have for your team-mates is availability. And I try to be available throughout my career, two decades-plus. That’s just a by-product of it.”
- NBA icon James sets another scoring record - 'It's a pretty cool feat'
- James makes more NBA history by hitting 50,000 points
The LA Lakers coach JJ Redick said that James' "love for the game of basketball" was the driving factor behind his astonishing longevity.
”He’s had an awesome season; he’s had an awesome career,” said Redick.
”There’s just a deep-seated love for the game of basketball, and to do it as long as he has, you not only need to have the love, but you need to have the love for the commitment to prepare your body and to prepare your mind and to get your rest.
"He loves the process; he really does. He loves his process, he loves his routine, he loves the feeling of being diligent.”
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement