Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James is not of this world. That has been established for the past handful of years now. The guy can do anything on the basketball court, and there is no sign of him slowing down.
Injuries have taken a toll on the soon-to-be 39-year-old, but he always seems to get right back up like he’s the bionic man. James is in his 21st season of the NBA, and he’s accomplished all you can in that time frame. There’s nothing left for James to achieve that could further his legacy, yet he’s still giving all he can to the game and the Laker organization.
His legacy is set in stone; however, he can achieve a few more milestones before he decides to hang it up for good. One category in which he has a great chance to overtake the top spot is all-time game leaders. Right now, James sits at nine on the list; however, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to overtake the current leader, Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish, who achieved the feat in just 21 seasons.
According to NBA insider Chris Mannix, it could take three healthy seasons from LeBron to make it possible.
Three more healthy seasons—and as stout as he’s been over the long haul, James has missed significant time in four of his last five seasons—could see him overtake Robert Parish for the all-time lead in games played (1,611) and move into the top 30 in total rebounds along the way.
(Per Chirs Mannix via Sports Illustrated)
That would mean James would have to play until his age 42 season and 24th year in the NBA, which would be a record.
The way James takes care of his body is not out of the realm of possibility, but it could be doubtful. However, if we learned one thing, that is never to count out LeBron, no matter how low the odds may seem.
If he were to do so, he’d need 162 games to tie him and 163 to surpass Parish. We’ll see if James wants to accomplish that and if his body and skillset will allow him to do so.