LeBron James Shatters NBA Records by Facing Over a Third of Every Player Ever—What It Means for the Game’s Future

It’s downright astonishing when you stop and think about it—LeBron James has gone head-to-head with more than a third of every player who’s ever set foot on an NBA hardwood. Just this past Sunday, at the Moda Center, he squared off against his 1,822nd opponent—none other than Portland Trail Blazers’ center, Yang Hansen. Now, I don’t know about you, but that number just feels surreal. Over a staggering 23 seasons, this figure translates to 33.8% of every player in the annals of NBA history. Talk about a living legend rubbing elbows with history every single game. Sure, that percentage has dipped a little since a few years back, when it peaked at 35%, but make no mistake—this is no small feat, and it only adds layers to the legacy of arguably the greatest basketball player we’ve ever seen. The man who broke records just by lacing up his shoes, LeBron continues to redefine longevity and dominance on the court in ways that keep fans and stat geeks alike marveling. LEARN MORE

LeBron James has gone up against more than a third of all players who have ever played in the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers star completed against his 1,822nd player — Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen — on Sunday night at the Moda Center, which is a remarkable figure on its own in his 23 seasons in the NBA. According to Stathead, James has now played against 33.8% of all players who have ever competed in an NBA game.

While that feels like a lot, and it is, the roughly one-third benchmark is actually down from a couple of years ago.

After a game against the Dallas Mavericks during the 2023-24 season, the Lakers revealed that James had actually played against 35% of all players in NBA history. James called that “insane” on social media at the time.

James broke the record during that season, too, when he played against his 1,669th opponent. So while the figure from Saturday night is cool to see, it’s nothing new for the man many consider to be one of, if not the best, player in NBA history.

James finished just shy of a triple-double in Sunday night’s 132-116 loss to the Trail Blazers, which dropped the Lakers to 24-16 on the season. He had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in that contest, which marked his 23rd game of the season. The 41-year-old has averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 assists and six rebounds per game this season.

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James, who was the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2003 NBA Draft, can only miss one more game this season to remain eligible for All-NBA honors and postseason awards. He has been battling several injuries this season, including the first 14 of the season due to sciatica.

While there are other accolades that James likely cares about more in his career — like the four MVP awards, his all-time scoring title or his four championships, among others — Saturday night’s stat is just the latest wild figure showing how long James has dominated professional basketball.