When LeBron James showed up to All-Star weekend in his regular attire, some fans were rightfully bothered by the fact that James waited until the last minute to announce he wasn’t playing in the All-Star Game.
Considering the fact that he could have made this decision a little earlier and allowed for a Norman Powell or Domantas Sabonis to take his place in the game, the backlash from fans who paid to see him play could be understood.
Aside from fans, a few talking heads in the media didn’t seem too pleased with the last-minute decision by James to sit out the game, and they’re not holding back.
Chandler Parsons Criticizes LeBron James for Sitting Out All-Star Game
Former NBA player Chandler Parsons is a host on the show “Run It Back,” which can be found on FanDuel TV. He has typically been outspoken on the program, and he definitely showcased that with his words towards James for sitting out the All-Star Game.
Parsons shot directly at LeBron and took a small swipe at his son, Bronny James, as well:
"The problem I have with LeBron James not wanting to play against the Rising Stars is all these other NBA players have to play against his son…
Would he have played if Bronny James was a Rising Star?"@ChandlerParsons doesn't mince words on Lebron's Sunday night sit out 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/vTwOL2eji6
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 17, 2025
“Here’s the problem I have when we’re talking about LeBron James not wanting to play against the Rising Stars. All these other NBA players have to play against his son, because LeBron has kind of put him in that situation — he’s a Rising Star.”
“What’s the difference now? He doesn’t want to play against the young guys, but now everybody has to play against his son. … Would he have played if they put Bronny James in the game?”
Parsons also said that you could label James as “selfish” for not giving the heads up that he would miss the game. Considering that James has had his ankle issue for a while, he could have made the decision to step aside prior to the night of the game.
Who Would Have Replaced James in All-Star Game?
In the event that James would have alerted the league about his likelihood of missing the game, there have been small discussions amongst fans on the players that could have taken his place.
Devin Booker was a name mentioned by some, while Norman Powell also stands out as a likely candidate due to his production for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Will this serve as potential motivation for any of those players the next time they battle against the Los Angeles Lakers? Time will tell.
