Sports columnist and commentator Skip Bayless congratulated LeBron James for achieving a unique feat, tying Robert Parish’s record of most games played in the NBA. James helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 134-126 win against the Miami Heat on Thursday night, playing alongside NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić, who dropped 60 points in the victory.
Skip Bayless Praises LeBron James for Tying NBA Games Played Record
James, one of the greatest players in history with a career spanning over two decades, has become a mainstay in the ‘GOAT’ debate alongside Michael Jordan. He already holds the all-time scoring record and continues to defy expectations at 41. With his injuries mounting, he was sidelined briefly due to a hip contusion and left foot arthritis but returned to the Los Angeles Lakers rotation sooner than expected.
However, he has shifted to playing alongside leading scorers Dončić and Austin Reaves, focusing more on off-ball movement and adapting to a supporting role. In his third game since his return, the 41-year-old had his best showing of the month on Wednesday, contributing 30 points on 13-for-14 shooting from the field in a win over the Houston Rockets.
In the recent Lakers-Heat clash, he recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in 38 minutes of floor time. The outing was historic, as it marked the 1,611th game of his career, tying Robert Parish’s record for the most games played in the NBA.
Columnist and commentator Bayless congratulated the four-time NBA champion for achieving the rare feat and called him the ‘most durable basketball player ever.’
“Congrats to LeBron James for tying Robert Parish’s all-time games played record on a night he went 19/15/10. Most Durable Basketball Player Ever.”
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The 41-year-old, who has become a global icon, was expected to give the limelight to younger stars, and he is doing exactly that. Dončić was beyond comprehension in the recent game, dropping 60 points in South Beach, the most he has scored since joining the Lakers roster.
But according to Bayless, it was not a good look for King James to take a backseat and tread behind standouts like Dončić.
“LeBron is really going out of his way to gush about Luka. Big of him to completely defer. But a little sad to see the ‘King’ take such a backseat,” Bayless wrote on X after the game against the Rockets.
The Lakers have climbed to 45-25 and are ranked third in the Western Conference, sitting below the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.
