When LeBron James finished last night’s loss having logged 35 minutes (for the second-straight night), it was a shock to many in the NBA community.
The Lakers superstar, who turns 36 on Wednesday, is coming off one of the shortest offseasons in league history.
So what’s he doing playing that many minutes in a back-to-back game?
According to ESPN analyst Skip Bayless, it’s because “the King” is trying to surpass Kareem in terms of longevity.
“LeBron needs to play basketball. His whole GOAT case is going to be ultimately more based on longevity records. He needs to catch Kareem.”
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1343961719790567425
If you don’t know, Kareem was the original benchmark for career longevity. His dominance extended for about 15 years, a span that saw Kareem win six regular-season MVPs, two Finals MVPs, four championships, and ten All-NBA First Team selections. He’s also the only player to have won a Finals MVP fourteen seasons apart.
What James is going now, coming off his 17th season, extends even beyond what Kareem was able to do. Not only is he the reigning Finals MVP, but he’s also still considered the NBA’s best player.
While James still trails behind Jordan in a lot of statistical categories, his continued dominance at this stage of his career is certainly helping his GOAT case. How that factors into his decision to play big minutes in back-to-backs, however, remains to be seen.
