Miami (AFP) – LeBron James tied the NBA record for most regular-season games played in style with a triple-double in the Lakers’ win at Miami on Thursday. James took to the court for his 1,611th regular-season game, equaling Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s record that had stood since 1997.
“Availability, I’ve always wanted to be available to my teammates,” James said. “It’s a mental toll, trying to play a lot and being out there…I just give a lot of praise to the man above and (it’s about) just loving the game and appreciating the game.”
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The 41-year-old notched the 124th triple-double of his career with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, helping the Lakers beat the Heat 134-126 for an eighth straight victory. Playing an unprecedented 23rd season, James already holds a host of NBA records, including points scored, field goals made and field goals attempted.
His latest milestone came in a return to Miami, where he played for four seasons and won the first two of his four NBA titles. James was coming off a 30-point performance on spectacular 13-of-14 shooting in the Lakers’ win at Houston on Wednesday.
After a quick turnaround that saw the Lakers arrive in Miami at 4:00 am on Thursday, James was listed as “questionable” in early injury reports before he was confirmed as available. He shrugged off fatigue to make his first seven shots from the field — not missing one until the fourth quarter.
James said the entire team was feeling the strain of the overnight travel. “I still wanted to come in and see how the body felt after some of the routine things that I do and the treatment things that I do.”
“Decided to give it a go,” added James, whose first chance to break Parish’s record is on Saturday when the Lakers play the Orlando Magic.
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