LeBron James Makes NBA History with Most Career Minutes in Tough Loss

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James reached another milestone in the NBA, becoming the all-time leader in minutes played during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 138-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. James, who has played 66,319 minutes in his career, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total of 66,297 minutes.

Despite setting the record, James’ achievement was overshadowed by the Lakers’ devastating 44-point loss, the largest of his 21-year career and tied for the fifth largest in Lakers history.

With the game slipping away, James, along with the rest of the main rotation players, was pulled from the game with 8:18 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Lakers already trailing by 27. When asked about the team’s performance and what needs to change, James simply responded, “A lot.”

The Sixers made a season-best 22 3-pointers on 46 attempts (47.8%), while the Lakers struggled, going just 7-for-25 (25%) from deep. The discrepancy was not lost on James, who bluntly stated, “We got killed on the 3-point line today.”

The Lakers’ poor performance was summed up by guard Austin Reaves, who candidly stated, “I mean, they made a lot of 3s, we didn’t, and they beat the s— out of us.” Despite the defeat, the team is determined to bounce back and learn from the loss through film sessions and rigorous practice.

Philadelphia was led by MVP Joel Embiid, who recorded a triple-double with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and Tyrese Maxey, who contributed 31 points and eight assists.

While injuries undoubtedly played a part in the Lakers’ loss, the team acknowledged that their performance was below par. Lakers Coach Darvin Ham emphasized the need for a high level of competitiveness, while James admitted his personal dissatisfaction with the defeat, stating, “I don’t like it.”