NBA Congratulates LeBron James on Historic Achievement

Parish, the Hall of Fame center who held the record for nearly three decades, has embraced James breaking it. "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."

When asked where James belongs among the all-time greats, Parish didn't hesitate. "Oh, they got to make room for LeBron. LeBron is an all-time great. They got to pull up an extra chair and tell some guys to slide over."

James returned the appreciation after tying the record on Thursday. "Shout out Chief, man. I've been seeing some of the things that he's been saying about me, and there's not a lot of those OGs that talk like that to the generation after them, and also about me personally, so shout out to Chief. He's super cool. He's dope. I like him."

His teammates remain in awe. "He's got to be insane," Austin Reaves said. "Can't be normal things going on in his brain to do it so well at such a high level. There's nothing left to prove, but he finds something to continue to motivate him."

Lakers coach JJ Redick credits what he calls James' "competitive stamina" for his longevity. "His ability to put so much focus and intent into his day — that's how you last, that's how you improve, that's how you stay healthy and are available to play in that amount of games."

The record adds to a résumé that already includes the most points scored in league history, the most All-Star selections and four MVP awards. James is averaging 21.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.8 rebounds this season, and the Lakers (45-25) enter Saturday riding an eight-game winning streak with a legitimate shot at making noise in the playoffs.