5 NBA Players Have Played More Regular Season Games Than LeBron James

Father Time waits for no one. But LeBron James seems to have found the magic formula to slow it down. Yes, while most athletes his age have a hard time even getting out of bed, LBJ is still going strong in season number 22. Sure enough, he has also gotten a lot of miles in during that time as he suited up for the 1500 regular season game of his career tonight against the Grizzlies.

As high as that number seems, he is still the sixth player on the all-time leaderboard for most games played. So, who are the five players above King James? Well, sitting on top of that list is Robert Parish with 1611 games in his bag. And his conditioning was one of the best we have ever seen as he played more than eighty games in a season nine times in his 21-year career.

Obviously, a close second is the player who had a lot of battles with Parish. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yes, The Captain appeared in 1560 games during his legendary career. And it took him twenty seasons to reach that mark. From the older generation, lets transition to some younger talent.

Following the two legends is Vince Carter, who is also the only player to play in four different decades. Unfortunately, Vinsanity was just twenty games short of surpassing Kareem as he finished his career with 1541 appearances. And he recently reaped the benefits of his hard work as the Raptors retired his jersey in a wholesome ceremony.

Not too far behind Vince is Dirk Nowitzki. As much as it is believed that big men are injury prone and have shorter careers, it is surprising that this list is dominated by three seven-footers. Yes, Dirk played 1522 games in his career and even won a title to cap it off. And the final player above King James is John Stockton, who played just four more games than the Lakers superstar's current tally. But LBJ might be coming for the record!

Can LeBron James break Robert Parish's record? Well, LBJ is likely to move up this list very soon. Sure enough, he will surpass Stockton in the coming weeks. And he could even reach the number two spot by the time the season ends. With only 61 appearances required to do so, the idea does not seem too far-fetched. Especially after what he recently said in an interview, "Yeah. I plan on playing every game." Yes, the veteran star does not see himself missing any games this season.

And he has kept his word so far. Obviously, breaking Parish's record would not be possible this season even if he plays every game. However, he could very likely do it in the early months of next season as he would only need 38 appearances to do so if he does not miss a game this year. And with the way he has been playing so far, the record will most likely be his in some time. Surely, that will become another testament to King James' longevity.