LeBron James has somehow never played 82 games in an entire season before. It's a surprise to see a player that physically looks like he's made of iron never play the full 82, but some guys need the time off. Whether it's injuries or just mid-season rest.

James has definitely had rest days in the past. Maybe he was nursing a minor injury or he just needed the time off, but his resistance to the idea that playing all 82 games in a season could partially help his longevity in his career. This season, however, James hasn't missed a game and has a real chance at playing all 82. James claims this was never a goal of his. via ESPN:

"That has never been my plan, that's been y'all narrative," James said. "That's never been my plan. My plan is to play one game at a time and see how I feel after that game and be a part of game this year, so but that's never been my plan. I didn't come into the season, saying, 'OK, we're going to play 82 games this season but my plan is to be as healthy as I can, work on my body, train my body every day to be available for my teammates every game and if that allows me to play tonight, as I am, then let's go. And hopefully I'll be in position where I'm able to go on Thursday as well, so we'll take it day by day."  

LeBron seems to be backtracking from his quotes in January when he told reporters he wanted to finish the season without missing a game. 

"I told you I want to play every game," James said. "If my health continues as it is right now, then that's what it is."  

This isn't the first time James has said he wants to play all 82 games though. Back in the 2015 preseason he said his goal for the season was to play all 82 games. That obviously ended up not happening.

Maybe this is the first season where James had a reason to play all 82 games. The Cavs were never in position where he could take some time off and comfortably watch from home knowing his team won't blow a sequence of games. With an up-and-down season like this, he just had to be around. Although, knowing that he's had a goal of 82 in mind, it seems pretty obvious that he was never going to skip a game this season. He probably wants at least one 82 game season on his resume, and he only has four games left to accomplish that. With that said, if this were a normal season where he did decide to take some time off, here are five instances in particular where he could've called out from work:

1. Cavs' 79-98 loss at Miami Heat on March 27

This loss to the Heat came right after the Cavs intense win over the Raptors. They were just starting to get their groove back, have healthier lineups and build some chemistry across the roster. It makes sense why James would want to play in this game. He even had a few days rest beforehand.

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Looking back, LeBron James should've probably sat this one out. USATSI

James has never won in Miami since leaving South Beach for a second stint in Cleveland. He's 0-4 and has previously sat out three games in Miami since rejoining the Cavs. 

This game was no different -- a complete blowout. James played 38 minutes, shot 7 for 18, and only scored 18 points. If he had taken this game off, or maybe left it early, nobody would have complained.

2. Cavs' 129-107 win at Phoenix Suns on March 13 

This win for the Cavs was pretty fun to watch, admittedly. James didn't just pick apart the Suns, he put them beneath his foot and crushed them. James dominated Phoenix from the opening tip with a mix of scoring and passing that left the defense in chaos the entire night. James even put on a mini dunk contest.

That said, he had no need or reason to play in this game. The Suns are terrible. The 129-107 final score indicates as much. They didn't need James' triple-double to beat them. Even a Cavs team at half-strength should be able to handle them. James' performance was a blast to watch, but it wasn't necessary.

His final stat line: 28 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds. It was incredible to watch.

3.  Cavs' 112-89 win at Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 23 

Like their victory over Phoenix, the Cavs didn't really need James to beat the Grizzlies. They're another bottom-dweller that even a depleted Cavs team should have no problem taking care of business. The problem is that the Cavs had just lost the night before and this was during a stretch where Cleveland was depleted with injures.

It makes sense why James would put stress on his body against a terrible team like the Grizzlies to guarantee a win. However, this was on the second night of a back-to-back. Considering how atrocious the Grizzlies have been, was it really that necessary? Clearly, James felt it was.

James finished with 18 points, 11 assists and 14 rebounds.

4.  Cavs' 123-107 win at Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 9 

This game was funny to watch because the Cavaliers had just traded half of their roster away at the previous day's trade deadline. They were still awaiting physicals to be completed and for the trades to be finalized and made official. This meant that the Cavs had to run a skeleton crew of players. London Perrantes and Ante Zizic each played a single minute that night.

James himself had a great game in a blowout win and there was absolutely no chance he was going to sit this out for rest. No player decides it's going to be a rest day when their team is already down half the roster from trades. That said, it would have been interesting to see the Cavs go full skeleton crew and let James sit this one out. He had just played a full 48 minutes in a win two nights beforehand. Sure, he had a day of rest in between, but even the toughest NBA players don't fully recover from that in one day. At least they ended up winning it pretty easily.

James played 41 minutes and finished with 22 points, 19 assists and 12 rebounds. Not only did James play, but he eviscerated the Hawks with his passing. Who needs a full roster?

5. The entire month of January

If there was any point this season where James could have taken time off to rest, keep his body fresh and send a message to the front office, then January would've been that month. 

Cleveland only won five games and had dreadfully embarrassing losses to Minnesota, Boston and Toronto. Was James telling the front office that he was unhappy and that roster moves were necessary? That's hard to say, but it did lead to all the deadline deals in early February. It also may have cost him a chance at winning MVP this season.

James could have taken off the entire month and still gotten these results, but sometimes a message is best sent personally. Despite Cleveland's struggles, James still averaged 23.5 points, 7.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds for the month. These were his lowest numbers of the season, but his body surely felt the minutes.