LeBron plays first full 82-game season of career by suiting up vs. Knicks

Achievement unlocked.

LeBron James had been stressing for weeks how important it was for him to play every single game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017-18, and on Wednesday in the season finale against the New York Knicks, the NBA's King reached his goal.

James also became the 15th player in league history to suit up for a full 82-game slate in his 15th season or later, joining names like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and A.C. Green.

The four-time Most Valuable Player had gotten close to the 82-game mark in the past, missing just a single game in 2008-09 and only two contests in 2004-05.

While Cleveland could have elected to rest its best player on this night, there remains playoff implications for seeding near the top of the Eastern Conference. A win against New York, paired with the Philadelphia 76ers falling to the Milwaukee Bucks, would move the Cavaliers up from the fourth seed to the third.

Head coach Tyronn Lue said prior to tip-off that he actually tried to convince James to sit, according to The Associated Press' Tom Withers. As a compromise, Lue added that he'll probably pull James from the game after the latter drops 10 points, which would continue a historic double-digit scoring streak.

James entered Wednesday's matchup at Quicken Loans Arena leading the Association in minutes per game at 37.2. He also ranked third in scoring (27.7 points), second in assists (9.2), and 15th in rebounding (8.7).