LeBron breaks all-time minutes record while Lakers are on track
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in regular season minutes played Thursday, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick congratulated the 39-year-old star in the locker room in front of the team.
The reception from his teammates after Los Angeles’ 113-100 win over the Sacramento Kings was a bit more relaxed.
“They tell me I’m old and all that,” James said after logging 34 minutes to bring his career total to 57,471, moving Abdul-Jabbar into second place with 57,446.
James, a 22-year-old veteran, is the league’s oldest active player and has finally shown signs of aging this season, recently missing eight days from the team to rehab a left foot injury.
However, he has had two effective performances since returning to the lineup, and the Lakers have won both games against teams they compete with in the Western Conference standings in the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento. He had 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds against the Kings after making 18 and 8 and 8 against the Grizzlies.
“His voice is what we missed in the two games he was gone — on both ends of the floor,” said Anthony Davis, who finished with a season-high 21 points and career-highs in rebounds (19) and blocks (6). “I mean, he’s a natural leader when it comes to the game, and when the time comes when it might seem chaotic, he’s able to kind of take control and get us into something and we try to execute as best as we can.”
It wasn’t long ago that the Lakers’ entire season started to feel like a mess, as Los Angeles lost seven of nine games and then James left the lineup for two games to rest.
But the Lakers have bounced back with wins in three of their past four games, with their defense becoming a strength rather than a weakness as it was during the losing streak.
“For the group, I really felt like this might be my favorite win we had all season,” Reddick said.
Added Davis: “We’re playing desperate — especially on the defensive end. And it shows.”
Austin Reeves led Los Angeles in scoring with 25 points, and three other players besides James and Davis led the way in double-digit scorers: D’Angelo Russell finished with 16 points, Gabe Vincent had 12 points, and Rui Hachimura had 10 points.
James was able to enjoy the full minutes, again in the same city where he played his first game in the regular season of the NBA in 2003.
“It’s an amazing honor, anytime I get to be associated with some of the greats who have ever played the game,” James said. “I’ve been available to my teammates. I’ve been able to do that at a high level for two decades. And continue to put myself in the record books in this game of basketball that I love so much and in the best league.” In the world is a very wonderful and very humbling thing.”
Los Angeles will remain in Sacramento to finish out the two-game set on Saturday, but James said he’s not ready to look forward to that contest yet.
“You just hired the best of the best [mark] “In a matter of minutes, I’m not thinking about this next game yet. I’m almost there,” he said. [hotel] Room, drink some wine, play some Madden and chill out.