A strict fitness regime made Abdul-Jabbar one of the most durable players of all time.[151] He began a year-around conditioning program at age 26.[152] To reduce wear during his later years, Riley did not have him inbound the ball on made baskets, and had him wait at the opposite end of the court on free throws.[153] In what he described as playing a "smarter game" to conserve energy, Abdul-Jabbar sometimes would be the last player to set up on offense by several seconds after staying behind on defense to see if the Lakers scored on a fast break.[152][154] In 1981, he responded to criticism that he did not hustle: "You have to understand I have to play 42 to 45 minutes a night, and it's like mowing a huge estate lawn. If you rush out and run around furiously, it's self-defeating. You'll be worn out just at the point when you're most needed."[155] In 1985–86, Abdul-Jabbar broke the previous NBA record of 16 seasons played, held by Dolph Schayes, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, and Elvin Hayes;[156][157][158] he finished his career with a then-record 20 seasons played.[159][160] In the NBA, his 20 seasons and 1,560 games are performances surpassed only by former Celtics center Robert Parish.[161]