Before meeting James for the first time this season, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers set to clash Thursday, Horford shared the lessons he learned from the superstar, his perspective on James’ remarkable longevity and his thoughts on James’ longtime domination of the Eastern Conference.

James — a pick for 21 straight years — now has two more All-Star selections than anyone else in NBA history (Abdul-Jabbar was a 19-time pick) and is three years clear of anyone else for the longest streak of consecutive selections. Kobe Bryant was picked for 18 consecutive All-Star Games, the second-longest such streak.

Darius Garland has been a revelation for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. The Cavs have been perhaps the biggest breakout team this season, leading the league and the Eastern Conference in total wins with a 36-7 record.

Prior to the Los Angeles Lakers (23-18) taking on the Boston Celtics (31-13) on Thursday night, the NBA and the "Inside the NBA” crew, consisting of Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley,