LeBron James continues to be a dominant force in the NBA despite being 40 years old. That longevity not only allows him to compete with much younger stars but also to surpass league legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in historic milestones. Now the forward for the Los Angeles Lakers stands alone in second place on the NBA’s all-time games played list.
With his appearance in Wednesday night’s matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers at American Airlines Center, LeBron secured sole possession of the second spot, overtaking Kareem, who had held that place thanks to a long career spanning from 1969 to 1989 with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers.
James now has 1,561 NBA games under his belt and is closing in on the top. The number one spot belongs to legend Robert Parish, who played 1,611 games with the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Chicago Bulls between 1976 and 1997. It’s worth noting that this stat includes only regular season games, excluding playoffs and play-in tournaments.
Just 50 games shy of Parish’s record, LeBron would only need to play one more year in the league. If he returns for the 2025-26 season with the Lakers—which seems likely at this point—he would need to play just over half the games to take the top spot on the list.
Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish holds the all-time NBA record for most games played.
Who are the players with the most NBA games played in history?
Robert Parish, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hold the top three spots on the NBA’s all-time regular season games played list. Further down the rankings are other league icons such as Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and Kevin Garnett.
Among active players who, like LeBron, could climb the list in the coming years, Chris Paul ranks the highest at No. 15 with 1,351 games. The other active player in the top 50 is Russell Westbrook, who sits at No. 39 with 1,234 games.
Who are the players with the most NBA playoff games?
When it comes to playoff games, LeBron James leads the pack—and is likely to extend his lead this year. The Lakers forward is the all-time leader in playoff appearances with 287 games. Behind him is fellow Lakers icon Derek Fisher with 259.
Tim Duncan (251), Robert Horry (244), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (237), Tony Parker (226), Kobe Bryant (220), Emanuel Ginobili (218), Shaquille O’Neal (216), and Scottie Pippen (208) round out the top ten.
LeBron James’ records
While he sets his sights on becoming the NBA’s all-time leader in games played, LeBron James already holds several other major league records. He is, of course, the all-time leading scorer in both the regular season with 42,143 points and in the playoffs with 8,162.
He’s also the youngest player ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft (18 years and 182 days old), has the most All-Star selections in history (20), and is the only player to win NBA Finals MVP honors with three different franchises (Heat, Cavaliers, and Lakers), to name just a few of his accomplishments.
