LeBron James Made NBA History vs. Sixers, but He Wasn't Happy About It
In the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers ' game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, LeBron James became the NBA 's leader in total minutes played (including the playoffs).
Roughly two hours later, James was asked about the milestone.
"That doesn't mean much to me," James said.
James might appreciate his own longevity records more in the future, but on Monday, one piece of his storied history was overshadowed a less glamorous one: The Lakers dropped the worst loss of James' career, falling to the Sixers 138-94. James scored 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting, but he went without a rebound and sat the fourth quarter as Sixers stars Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid compiled 31 and 30 points respectively in the blowout win. The Sixers recorded their seventh straight win over the Lakers and led by 25 at halftime.
A reporter asked James how a team should react to a loss like that.
"I don't know how a team [reacts]," James said. "I can only speak for myself. I don't like it."
LeBron James at the Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2023, in Philadelphia. James set the record for most minutes played in NBA history in the game against the 76ers. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Stepping back from James' displeasure, his new mark is an impressive one, even if he didn't like the way it happened. His 30 minutes on Monday raised him to 66,319 total, which pushed him passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's total of 66,297.
That means James has spent a total of more than 46 total days on an NBA basketball court, including the grueling minutes spent in the NBA playoffs and Finals. James is still roughly 2,800 minutes behind Abdul-Jabbar in regular-season minutes, but that mark could fall as well if he remains relatively healthy this season and returns next year.
For a player who came into the league with a Sports Illustrated cover already under his belt, James has met nearly every expectation after being anointed "The Chosen One" in 2002.
In nearly 22 years since, James only missed the All-Star game in his rookie year and has been an All-NBA player 19 times. He has a scoring title and six All-Defense selections. He won four regular-season MVPs, four Finals MVPs and four titles.
Last season, he surpassed Abdul-Jabbar for the NBA's all-time scoring mark with a jumper against the Oklahoma City Thunder (the Lakers lost that game as well, albeit in a much more palatable 133-130 decision). To surpass James' new mark, a player would have to score 39,079 points (and counting).
Still, James and the Lakers have much higher hopes following Monday's humiliating defeat.
The Lakers are now 10-8, which is good for eighth in a loaded Western Conference. They are just three games behind the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves, but when a reporter asked what has to change for the Lakers to get back on track and rise up in the standings, James remained brief.
"A lot," he said.
