LeBron breaks the all-time minutes record as the Lakers get on track

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leader in regular-season hitting on Thursday, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick congratulated the 39-year-old star in the locker room in front of the team.

The reception from his teammates after LA’s 113-100 win over the Sacramento Kings was a little looser.

“They told me I’m old as hell and all that,” James said after taking 34 minutes to bring his career total to 57,471, moving Abdul-Jabbar to No. 2 with 57,446.

James, a 22-year veteran, is the oldest active player in the league and has finally shown signs of aging this season, recently taking an eight-day absence from the team to rehabilitate a left foot injury.

However, he has turned in two effective performances since returning to the lineup, and the Lakers won both games against teams they are battling in the Western Conference standings in the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento. He had 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds against the Kings after putting up 18, 8 and 8 against the Grizzlies.

“His voice is what we missed in the two games he was out — on both ends of the floor,” said Anthony Davis, who finished with 21 points and season highs in rebounds (18) and blocks (6). “I mean, he’s a natural born leader when it comes to the game and when it’s time where it can seem chaotic, he’s able to kind of take control and just get us into something and we trying to execute as well as possible.”

It wasn’t that long ago that the entire Lakers season began to feel chaotic, with LA dropping seven of nine games and then James leaving the lineup for two games to rest.

But the Lakers have bounced back with wins in three of their last four games, with their defense a strength rather than a weakness as it had been during the losing streak.

“For the group, I really felt like this might be my favorite win we’ve had all season,” Redick said.

Added Davis: “We play desperately — especially on the defensive end. And it shows.”

Austin Reaves led LA in scoring with 25 points, and three other players besides James and Davis topped double figures: D’Angelo Russell had 16, Gabe Vincent had 12 points and Rui Hachimura had 10 points.

And James was able to enjoy the minute feat coming full circle, back in the same city where he played his first regular-season NBA game in 2003.

“Obviously, it’s a pretty cool honor anytime I’m associated with some of the greats that ever played this game,” James said. “I’ve been available to my teammates. I’ve been able to do this at a high level over two decades. And to continue to put myself in the record books in this game of basketball that I love so much and in the best league in the world is pretty cool and it’s very humbling.”

LA will stay in Sacramento to finish the two-game set on Saturday, but James said he wasn’t ready to look forward to that game yet.

“I just set the all-time leading (mark) in minutes, I’m not thinking about the next game yet,” he said. “I’m going to get to this (hotel) room, drink some wine, play some Madden and relax.”