82! 82 games played without missing a single one! The Rockets' third overall pick has undergone an epic evolution.

The regular season has ended, and the play-in games are coming right after, as follows:

Western Conference: Clippers (9) vs. Warriors (10), Suns (7) vs. Trail Blazers (8);

Eastern Conference: Hornets (9) vs. Heat (10), Philadelphia (7) vs. Magic (8).

The play-in rules: The 7th and 8th seeds play one game; the winner advances to the playoffs as the 7th seed. The loser then faces the winner of the game between the 9th and 10th seeds in another play-in contest to determine the 8th seed playoff spot.

The playoff matchups that have already been determined are as follows:

Western Conference: Lakers (4) vs. Rockets (5), Nuggets (3) vs. Timberwolves (6);

Eastern Conference: Cavaliers (4) vs. Raptors (5), Knicks (3) vs. Hawks (6).

Statistics show that this season, a total of 18 players played in all 82 regular-season games, as follows:

Podziemski (Warriors), Bruce Brown (Nuggets), Carrington (Wizards), Bridges (Knicks), Bane (Magic), Laravia (Lakers), DiVincenzo (Timberwolves), Shead (Raptors), Champagnie (Spurs), Javonte Green (Pistons), Huff (Pacers), Fells (Pelicans), Keldon Johnson (Spurs), Dunn (Clippers), Iguodaro (Suns), Sheppard (Rockets), Sean James (Hornets), and Kamara (Trail Blazers).

In today's fast-paced, high-octane offensive era, it is truly remarkable that some players managed to participate in every single game.

Especially Bridges, an NBA-level super ironman, who has maintained perfect attendance throughout his career (8 seasons), having played 638 consecutive regular-season games since entering the league.

Moreover, this guy has always been a key player. To date, his career regular-season averages are 33.2 minutes per game, contributing 14.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals, with shooting percentages of 48.5%, 37.1%, and 84.2%.

The NBA might consider establishing a "Perfect Attendance Award" specifically to encourage "workhorses" like Bridges, thereby motivating more players to actively suit up for games.

Regarding who's full-season participation is most surprising, Sheppard's name is mentioned the most. After all, he is a 1.88-meter white guard not known for exceptional physical prowess. In his sophomore season, he averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, hitting 2.8 three-pointers at a 39.4% clip. This represents significant improvement compared to his rookie season (averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists).

The third overall pick of the 2024 draft is finally soaring alongside the Rockets.