LeBron James was named to his 21st consecutive NBA All-Star team in 2025. It’s impressive that James is still playing at such a high level at 40 years old. However, James won’t play in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game tournament.
From the horse’s mouth, James explained to reporters why he won’t participate in the All-Star Game.
LeBron James Claims He Is Still Dealing With Discomfort
James explained to reporters that a few nagging injuries will keep him out of tonight’s game.
“You won’t see anything from me tonight,” James told reporters. “[I’m] still dealing with ankle and foot discomfort, so I will not be playing, unfortunately. I hate that.”
LeBron announcing that he will NOT play tonight.
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It’s likely that James’ announcement of his absence hours before the game will not result in an All-Star replacement for him in time. This is a shame because, had he announced it earlier, the league would probably have found a replacement for him in enough time. At the same time, James likely thought he would be good to go, especially since discomfort can go away.
It also signifies the sad reality that, as James ages, he isn’t guaranteed to be as available as he was during his younger days. Even though James has done an excellent job slowing down Father Time, he isn’t exempt from dealing with discomfort as he ages.
With James absent, the only Los Angeles Lakers player representing the team will be prized midseason addition Luka Dončić, who has played two games for Los Angeles since his shocking trade away from the Dallas Mavericks at the beginning of the month.
This could be something the Lakers may pay close attention to going forward. With Dončić on the team, there’s no telling what their ceiling will be in the playoffs. However, if James is still dealing with discomfort and nagging injuries, that could really hurt their chances of going on a lengthy playoff run.
James may be doing this as a precaution to ensure that he will be present for the Lakers’ upcoming playoff run. Players have come to regret playing in the All-Star game while playing with an injury. Ultimately, it may not be worth playing in a game that has more often than not proven itself to not be all that competitive.
It is a shame that the NBA won’t get to see one of the best players in league history play in one of the league’s most revered games in the entire season. In the long run, though, this might be what’s best for both James and the Lakers.
