SACRAMENTO — LeBron
James, a man whose longevity will be talked about for years to come, surpassed
six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most minutes played in league
history during Los Angeles Lakers’ win over Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Already the all-time leader in career points, another record
for which he had surpassed Kareem, LeBron made history in the 10th minute as
his tally moved up to 57,447 minutes and counting in 1,517 games played.
“It’s just a commitment to the craft and to the passion and
love I have for the game,” James said after Thursday’s shootaround. “I don’t
take much time in the offseason. A little bit more time now.
“I didn’t take much time in the offseason, no matter if I
was making the 10 Finals appearances back to back and just always trying to
keep my body in tip-top shape,” he added.
He also holds the NBA records for career field-goal attempts
and turnovers while ranking fourth in assists, eighth in steals and 29th in
rebounds.
The Lakers defeated the Kings 113-100 to improve their
record to 15-12 this season. Despite a slight stutter, the JJ Redick coached
side has now won three of their last four games and will be hoping to continue
the winning momentum as they sit at seventh place in the Western Conference.
LeBron scored 19 points, registered seven assists and
grabbed six rebounds in a supporting role to Austin Reaves who scored 25 points
with 7 off 14 field goals made.
