LeBron James can’t help himself. The King continues to defy expectations, adding to his historic career with yet another longevity milestone. This time, he surpassed Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish to become the league’s most prolific player (1,612). While records are meant to be broken, Parish’s response to the situation has stood out.

The Celtics legend on X on Sunday, tweeted his appreciation. He shared a heartfelt message, where he embraced the moment with admiration rather than rivalry, tweeting, “Congrats on passing the most games played 1611!! You continue pushing for greatness/excellence combined with grace and respect for the game is a feel good moment for me!!” Parish also had kind words for him when he tied his record (1,611), “I’m happy for you, and I’m proud too, no player is better deserving to break that ironman record, that 1,611 games played record, than LeBron,” Parish said to Rob Perez of SiriusXMNBA. “He deserves it, in my opinion.”

James, 41, is in his 23rd season and adds to the magic of the moment. He has maintained elite performance for the past two decades, a feat that few players in the league can match. Furthermore, in a competition as demanding as the NBA, the four-time champion has been able to maintain peak physical condition, demonstrating that his greatness is based on consistent excellence.

The man who saw his longstanding record end was also not ordinary. Parish is widely regarded as one of the most durable players in league history. He established a reputation for longevity and availability over a decades-long career, similar to LeBron’s. Surprisingly, the Kid from Akron has redefined what longevity looks like, making it difficult for the next generation of players to keep up.

Regardless of the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, James’ most recent accomplishment was too impressive to overlook. Parish’s words simply reflect how well James is regarded by other league greats, just as former Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants sparked a GOAT debate by claiming that Michael Jordan, who has a never-ending rivalry with LeBron, cannot do what the former Cavs star did when he was his age.

The moment came during the Lakers’ 105-104 road victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. The record stood for 29 years after Parish’s retirement, demonstrating that LeBron can break any record he sets. The pressure has now shifted to the next generation, as players like Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, and Cade Cunningham may or may not break his record, but they will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them as their careers advance.

What’s next for LeBron James?

LeBron James will retire, whenever that happens, though, with a lot to be grateful for in his career. With no record safe anymore, he has broken seemingly unbreakable records, starting with his over 40k career points, after he surpassed another great, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in 2023. There’s no argument that he is the most complete statistical player ever, being the only player with 40k+ points, 10k+ rebounds and 10k+ assists.

Furthermore, unlike rival Jordan, who dominated during his time with the Chicago Bulls, James appears to shift the GOAT debate towards himself with his recent feats. He might even go a step further by pushing beyond the 1,700+ games, which will make the record even harder to break. However, people still debate how long he will stay in the league, but Kevin Durant believes that “LeBron can still play for another 4-5 years,” which will not come as a surprise to anyone if he does stay in the league for that duration.