Robert Parish Breaks His Silence On LeBron James Passing His Record For Most Played Games

LeBron James has already broken countless records, but there’s still one more for him to break. Tonight, against the Miami Heat, he tied Robert Parish for the most games in NBA history with 1,611.

In a chat with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Parish spoke on the amazing feat and what it means for the NBA. Contrary to what you might believe, he doesn’t hold a grudge against LeBron. In fact, he admires James for the hard work and consistency he’s displayed to even make this record possible.

“If anyone is deserving of breaking the iron man record, I would say LeBron James is,” Parish told ESPN. “Because he takes such good care of himself. His approach to fitness and what he puts into his body reflects, or mirrors, how I felt about my fitness and what I ate, how I took care of myself. And so, it’s a testament to not only my longevity, but LeBron’s longevity.”

Parish, a four-time champion, is a basketball legend and Hall of Famer who played for 21 years in the NBA. With career averages of 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game on 53.7% shooting from the field, he did a little bit of everything on the court across four different stints (Celtics, Warriors, Hornets, Bulls). Before James’ career, he (along with A.C. Green) was considered the highest standard for career longevity.

Since retiring in 1997, Parish held the record for most career games at 1,611, and it stood for nearly 30 years before being surpassed by LeBron. After becoming the all-time leading scorer and setting the record for most seasons, this was the last longevity-related milestone James had yet to reach.

Finally, after 22 years, that’s set to change this week. By suiting up today, he tied Parish for the top spot with his 1,611th game. So, assuming LeBron plays against the Magic on Saturday, he’ll take sole possession of first on the leaderboard, a moment that Parish says he always saw coming.

“Oh, no, no,” Parish said when asked whether he thought his record was unbreakable. “I thought the record would be broken eventually.”

Parish doesn’t sound salty at all, and he shuouldn’t be. The fact that the record stood for as long as it did is a testament to his consistency, and it took over 22 seasons for LeBron to catch up. Of course, it’s not by accident that the Lakers star has been playing for over two decades now. He puts more effort taking care of his body than most athletes even think about. That’s on top of how he adjusts and adapts his game to accommodate his waning athleticism.

Everything LeBron does at this point is fully intentional, meant to maximize whatever time he has left in the NBA. In the process, he’s setting a brand new standard for consistency and continuity that Parish (and plenty of others) can’t help but respect.

So, whether you love or hate LeBron James, you can’t deny the impressive run he’s on. As the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and soon-to-be the most experienced, there’s really nothing he has left to prove. At this point, anything else he achieves is just added filler on a resume that’s already stacked to the brim.