At 39 years old, LeBron James once again holds the title of the league’s oldest player in his 22nd NBA season. He played his 1,500th game yesterday in a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, becoming only the sixth player to reach the milestone. If he stays healthy this season, he’s likely to finish the year close to second place, held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560). As he is already under contract for next season, he is well on his way to claiming the top spot and surpassing the 1,611 games played by Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish, which he achieved in 21 seasons.

Lebron James doesn’t get the same respect as Michael Jordan

Lebron will finish the season with 40 years old, but his game and continued dominance still amaze me; he should be the ultimate example for any current or aspiring NBA player due to his unparalleled discipline and basketball knowledge. However, it seems that not everyone respects the “King”, especially the younger players who compete against him. This was evident in last night’s game where there were several confrontations with members of the young Grizzlies team, especially their star player, Ja Morant.

It all started when Ja Morant mocked Gabe Vincent with the classic “too small” gesture after scoring on him. In response, LeBron, being a good leader, defended Vincent and made the same gesture after scoring on Morant, which increased the intensity of the game and caused fans to compare him, again, to Michael Jordan. Fans were left wondering: why has the disrespect for LeBron increased? Where’s the respect for the all-time scoring leader and soon-to-be record holder for most games played? Here’s how it played out.

Morant and Lebron clear up the issue as they’ll meet again next week

If you’re from the Jordan era, you know that if someone did something similar to MJ, “he would take it personally. But LeBron doesn’t seem to be bothered by these actions; rather, he takes it as a compliment and probably enjoys the younger players competing against him in this way, something he used to do 20 years ago, but always with respect for his elders. After the game, both players made it clear that what happens on the court stays on the court. Morant said of LeBron, “Top dawg in our league. You take out the top dawg, who else do you fear?”, showing that he fears no one, but still respects LeBron as the “top dawg”.

LeBron, who finished as the game’s leading scorer with 39 points and became both the youngest (18) and oldest (39) player to record 35+ points and 5+ threes in a game, said, “What the essence of the game is all about. Two inner-city guys who love to compete.” Another moment of disrespect for LeBron came at the end of the game when Desmond Bane hyped Scottie Pippen Jr.’s steal on LeBron, saying, “He took the ball from the old man” – the same “old man” who without his best player, Anthony Davis, went for 39 points.

This would be an incredibly exciting playoff series in the future, but for now both teams need to work on key areas and recover their injured players, especially the Grizzlies. They’ll meet again next Wednesday, November 13th, but this time in California, probably with AD back in the lineup.