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This Day In Lakers History: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Passes Elvin Hayes For Most Minutes In NBA History

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished players to ever suit up in the NBA, and the former Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks big man is arguably most famous for scoring the most points in the history of the league, a feat that will likely never be topped.

But one Abdul-Jabbar achievement that probably doesn’t get talked about enough was the Hall-of-Famer’s longevity. Abdul-Jabbar played in 1,560 games over his 20-year career, and he accrued an all-time leading 57,446 minutes over that timespan.

Abdul-Jabbar took that lead on Feb. 14, 1986, and never looked back, jumping past Elvin Hayes’ then-NBA record of 50,000 minutes in the Lakers’ 141-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks.