LeBron James is the player with the most minutes played in NBA history

In a season in which he is nearing the end of his career, the sporting legend has just surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With 57,471 total minutes, LeBron surpassed Abdul-Jabbar‘s 57,446 minutes after playing 34 minutes in the Lakers‘ win over Sacramento on 19 December. A record that seems immortal, but for the superstar it’s just another chapter in his story.

He can’t escape the jokes, though. Although his coach congratulated him on the achievement, his teammates did not miss an opportunity to remind him that the king also has his years: ‘They call me old as hell,’ he joked with a chuckle. Although he has surpassed a legend like Kareem, James does not take too seriously the fact that he has been making his mark in the league for more than two decades.

This latest feat comes just after the player opened up about the end of his career. After the win against Memphis last month, LeBron was clear: ‘I’m not going to play much longer’. With the sincerity that has always been his trademark, he explained that he doesn’t know how many more years he has left, but he’s determined not to be that guy who ‘keeps playing for the sake of playing’. ‘I’m not going to be that guy who disrespects the game just to be on the court,’ he said, making it clear that his retirement will come when the time is right.