LeBron just surpassed Jordan in one surprising history-making way

NBA legend LeBron James just made history in last night's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. LeBron and Bronny James became the first father-son to play together in the NBA and just the second pair ever to do so in North American sports.

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were previously the first and only father-son duo to play for the same team, the Seattle Mariners, at the same time. While LeBron and Bronny playing together is technically unofficial since preseason games don't count, the Lakers will probably play both during their first regular season game to ensure that history is made.

Even so, it is remarkable for a player to play long enough to have his son join him in the NBA. In fact, Bronny wasn't even born when LeBron made his NBA debut in 2003, with him being born a year later. Fast forward 22 seasons and Bronny is now teammates with his father.

While that may not be something that can go on his resume when discussing the greatest players of all time, it is a testament to LeBron's longevity. That is something that Jordan didn't have.

LeBron just surpassed Jordan in one surprising history-making way.

Jordan did play in the NBA in his 40s but that was after he retired twice, including in his late twenties for 18 months. He returned and played another three years before retiring again. After that, he joined the Washington Wizards and played two seasons in his late 30s and while he was still terrific, he only played a total of 15 years with breaks in between.

Compare that to LeBron, who has played 21 full seasons and is about to enter his 22nd. Not only that but he has also played significantly more playoff games since the NBA changed their format around the time he came into the league, in addition to playing in four Olympics. That is a lot of mileage on LeBron but he is still playing at a level that no one has seen from a player who is soon to be 40 years old.

Add in that he is now teammates with his son, which is historic, and it is clear that he has Jordan beat, at least in terms of longevity. With LeBron in uncharted territory, he can continue to rack up accolades, such as increasing his record number of all-star appearances as well as increasing his record for all-time points. What's different is that he will now have his son Bronny along for the ride as his teammate.