One of the biggest achievements in the legendary career of LeBron James has been his unrivaled longevity in the NBA. It's not just about how long the all-time great has stuck around, but the level that James has performed at throughout his 22-year run.
LeBron enjoyed a long stretch as the NBA's best player. Even when the four-time champion did not quite hold that crown, James was never that far away. One of the best ways to highlight that is his NBA record for All-NBA selections.
James was selected to his 21st All-NBA Team on Friday evening. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar joined Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Evan Mobley on the All-NBA Second Team.
In the process of doing so, James pushed this NBA record one step further out of everyone else's reach. This is a mark that is very unlikely to be broken in the future, showcasing an excellent element as to why many believe the future Hall of Famer to be the greatest player in NBA history.
James' one-of-a-kind longevity puts this record largely out of reach
For the passionate Lakers or LeBron fan, there is an argument to be made for the fact that the still dominant superstar should have notched a first-team selection over Donovan Mitchell. Regardless of that, this achievement still remains undeniably impressive all the same.
Firstly, being selected to an All-NBA Team for 21 seasons in a row is something that will almost certainly not be seen again in our lifetime. This is especially true when considering the league's introduction of the 65-game rule.
That mark will not be challenged, but even James' position as the all-time leader in having the most All-NBA selections is something that may never see a true competitor. The gap continues to widen between him and second place for this NBA record.
Three players are tied for the second most All-NBA selections in NBA history. Fellow Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant both have 15. As does San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan.
James is six selections clear of his closest competition. That is a margin that is much larger than it may appear to some. Only 54 players in the long history of the league even have 6+ All-NBA selections to begin with.
This all goes without saying that James could still have enough in the tank to extend this record. How many people would really argue with the idea of LeBron still being dominant enough in 2025-26 to claim another selection?
It would truly take a player with not even just comparable dominance, but the health and durability to truly ever put James at risk of losing this NBA record. The likelier outcome? Everyone pointing to this achievement as a defining part of the four-time MVP's storied career.