LeBron James becomes NBA's all-time minutes leader

"The King" already holds the record for most postseason minutes, logging 11,858 minutes from 287 games. He has a huge separation from Kevin Durant (6,893) — the only other active player in the top 15 in playoff minutes. 

For James, Thursday's milestone is more than just a longevity feat. It's a reward for all the years he dedicated to the sport he loves.

"It's a pretty cool honor," James said, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Obviously, anytime I'm linked with some of the greats that have ever played this game. To know that I've been available to my teammates, I've been able to do this at a high level for over two decades and to continue to put myself in record books in this game of basketball that I love so much and in the best league in the world is pretty cool, and it's very humbling."

James' milestone nights haven't always led to wins in recent years, with the Lakers suffering losses when he passed Kobe Bryant in points, broke Abdul-Jabbar's longstanding scoring record and became the first to 40,000 points. However, that wasn't the case Thursday as James, with 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds, led the Lakers to the win in Sacramento.

As a result, the Lakers (15-12) find themselves just half a game behind the Clippers (16-12) for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers will look to build on a two-game winning streak in a rematch against the Kings on Saturday.