LeBron James confirmed hours before the NBA All-Star Game that he will not participate due to discomfort in his foot and ankle.
This is unfortunate timing because if James had said that earlier, maybe the NBA could have gotten a replacement in time. Multiple NBA players had their own thoughts on the matter.
Multiple Former and Current NBA Stars Criticize LeBron James for Last-Second Announcement
Following James’ announcement that he would not be playing, Draymond Green, Vince Carter, and Jalen Rose voiced their displeasure towards James for not saying anything earlier on TNT’s broadcast.
Green, who is buddies with James, wishes his friend could have handled it differently.
“I think ‘Bron coulda helped somebody else out and said this earlier,” Green said.
While noting that other players like Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis or Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker could have been the replacement, former NBA star Vince Carter added, “There are a lot of guys who are worthy.”
NBA Most Improved Player recipient Jalen Rose said that “(James) took a roster spot from somebody.”
Draymond Green: "I think [LeBron James] coulda helped somebody else out and said this earlier…"
Vince Carter: "There are a lot of guys who are worthy."
Jalen Rose: "He took a roster spot from somebody." #NBA https://t.co/O7qOijgsZN pic.twitter.com/hupGx4NZlT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 17, 2025
They weren’t the only ones who weren’t happy with James missing the game. NBA champion and James’ former teammate Kendrick Perkins also voiced his disapproval on his personal X account, revealing who he believes should have taken James’ spot had he announced it earlier.
Could have said this earlier. Norman Powell could have made his first All-Star appearance. SMH https://t.co/LqqLHR7A11
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) February 16, 2025
While Sabonis and Booker have made multiple All-Star appearances throughout their careers, Powell was having a career year with the Los Angeles Clippers and garnered quite a bit of All-Star buzz this season. It would have made for a nice story if he had made the team, given that he would be an unexpected but deserved All-Star candidate.
In hindsight, James probably should have said something beforehand, but he likely didn’t know that the discomfort he was dealing with would last as long as it would and didn’t want to take any chances of making it worse.
On another note, it’s pretty amazing to know that James himself played against all of these players mentioned above when he first came to the NBA. He played against the likes of Rose, who started his NBA career in 1994, while Carter started his in 1998.
It speaks to James’ longevity as an NBA player that he played against players who started their careers in the 1990s who haven’t played in over a decade and is still going up against players whose careers will likely extend into the 2030s.
However, all of that is overshadowed by the fact that James made such an inconvenient announcement and killed the chances of another player in the league getting an All-Star appearance.
