LeBron James’ historic longevity continues to be a topic of discussion. Wrapping up his 23rd season, he anchored the Los Angeles Lakers to a 53-29 regular-season record, drawing unique praise from a seven-time NBA champion.
Robert Horry’s Unique Praise for Lakers Forward LeBron James
Recently, a statement from Lakers legend Robert Horry went viral on social media. In it, he praised James for his incredible longevity in the league.
“It makes me so mad because the people who criticize him aren’t even basketball players. You would never see a basketball [player] say, ‘Oh, that was a bad play.’ We’ve got to sit back and say thank you for the 20+ years you’ve given us,” Horry said regarding James.
“And like me, I’m saying give us 20 more because it’s just amazing to watch him play each and every night.”
“It makes me so mad because the people who criticize him aren’t even basketball players. You would never see a basketball [player] say “Oh, that was a bad play.” — We’ve got to sit back and say thank you for the 20+ years you’ve given us. And like me I’m saying give us 20 more… pic.twitter.com/LJVtyvFAmk
— 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝑮𝒐𝒍𝒅 🏆 (@PurpGoldLakers) April 13, 2026
To understand Horry’s perspective, it’s important to look at his own journey.
He entered the NBA in the 1992-93 season after being selected 11th overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1992 NBA Draft. Horry played 16 seasons in the league across four teams: the Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. Over his career, he appeared in 1,107 regular-season games and averaged 7.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists.
But the player Horry spoke about has taken longevity to a whole different level. James entered the NBA in the 2003 NBA Draft when he was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers straight out of high school.
Last year, when he exercised his $52.6 million player option to return to the Lakers for the 2025-26 season, he officially became the longest-active player in the league. Moreover, he has not slowed down one bit. In the 2025-26 regular season, he has averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game despite being 41.
For that reason, Horry doubled down on his praise just a day ago, stating that LBJ is still among the NBA’s elite. “He’s such a dynamic scorer and great passer. I’m not going to say he’s as great at getting his shot off as Luka is, but he’s just as dangerous.”
“I think sometimes we look at his age and think he doesn’t have it. He still has it. Even at this age, he’s still better than 95% of the league,” Horry said via Spectrum SportsNet.
In James’ last game of the 2025-26 regular season against the Utah Jazz, the King scored 18 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in just 17 minutes of action.
The Lakers were in control right from the start. They led by 10 points after the first quarter and stretched that to a 17-point lead by halftime. In the second half, they combined for 69 points in the third and fourth quarters. The final score was 131-107, a convincing win to close out the regular season.
James and the Lakers will shift their focus to the postseason, where they will face the Houston Rockets in the first round.
