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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is the winningest player in NBA history.
At the end of March, LeBron James broke another NBA record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James changed the history books once again after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 127-113.
James finished that game with 14 points, five rebounds and six assists, which was enough for the Lakers to earn the win. It was the 1,229th game that “The King” has won in his legendary career.
It wasn’t the only record held by Abdul-Jabbar that was broken by James. He broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record during the 2022-23 season, as well as the most field goals made ever last March 5, as per CBS Sports.
James Humbly Credits His Coaches For Historic Accomplishment
GettyNBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers player LeBron James (L) and Coach Dru Joyce ll arrive at the screening of Lionsgate’s “More Than a Game” at the Grove Theaters on September 26, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
On the latest episode of the Mind The Game podcast, James and co-host Steve Nash discussed the Lakers superstar becoming the winningest player ever.
The Lakers superstar humbly credited his first coaches, Frank Walker Sr., Dru Joyce II and Keith Dambrot, for teaching him the basics of basketball.
“Every stop in my basketball journey has resulted in a championship,” James said, via HoopsHype. “From the little leagues to middle school to high school. And in the pros, I’ve always won. I wouldn’t say it was light work, but it could feel that way at times.”
The four-time MVP added:
“So to hear that I’m the winningest player in NBA history, it’s really a shoutout to all my coaches, all my teammates, and the whole journey. My little league coaches literally taught me how to play the game the right way, and I never let the narrative, or whatever people thought about how I should play or what I should do, change how I was taught.”
At the age of 41, James is still playing at a high level. He’s averaging a career-low 20.8 points, plus 6.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Lakers Leaning on LeBron More Due to Injuries
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) react with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) after Doncic scored the game winning basket in overtime against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
With the playoffs about to start in less than two weeks, the Lakers are leaning on James to carry them to the end of the regular season.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been ruled out for the rest of the regular season, and their status for the playoffs is up in the air.
Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an injury that typically heals in around four to six weeks. He has flown to Europe to reportedly seek special treatment to hasten his recovery, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Meanwhile, Reaves is dealing with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, with a similar recovery period of four to six weeks.
The Lakers have three games remaining in the regular season, against the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. They are in danger of slipping to the fifth seed if they continue their current three-game losing streak.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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