LeBron James broke the NBA record for most regular-season games played on Saturday, taking the court for his 1,612th game in the Los Angeles Lakers last-gasp 105-104 victory against the Orlando Magic.
The 41-year-old basketball icon’s appearance took him one clear of the mark of 1,611 held by Robert Parish since his retirement in 1997.
The four-time NBA champion had equalled Parish’s tally on Thursday in stunning fashion, posting a triple-double in the Lakers’ win over the Heat in Miami.
It had looked as if James’ milestone appearance on Saturday would be tinged with disappointment, with Orlando poised to end the Lakers’ eight-game winning streak, leading 104-102 with three seconds on the clock.
But a sensational buzzer-beating three-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining from Luke Kennard rescued the Lakers to make it nine consecutive victories. The Lakers improved to 46-25 to tighten their grip on third place in the Western Conference.
James finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 33 points but picked up a costly 16th-season technical foul, which triggers a suspension that will rule him out of Monday’s showdown with the Detroit Pistons.
