Skip to main content

Lakers' LeBron James Won't Play in 2025 NBA All-Star Game Due to Ankle, Foot Injuries


Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will not play in Sunday night's All-Star Game, per the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds.

James told reporters he's sitting out due to lingering foot and ankle discomfort. A replacement for James won't be named ahead of tipoff, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

James, 40, was set to play in his 21st All-Star Game.

James has stayed mostly healthy this season, playing 48 of the Lakers' 52 games heading into the All-Star Break, though he has dealt with the foot injury throughout the year.

While James' absence will come as a disappointment to fans, the veteran ultimately felt it was best to pull himself out of the game rather than risk further injury to his foot or ankle.

"I have to look out for myself when it comes to the injuries," James said, per Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill.

According to The Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike, James said he hopes to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.

James' 21 All-Star selections are the most in NBA history after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar two years ago. He has been an All-Star every year since 2005.

James, who has won the NBA All-Star Game MVP three times, had the chance to make history on Sunday by winning the trophy a fourth time, something only Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit have done, but he'll instead have to go for that feat next season—if he is selected for the All-Star Game.

After being ruled out of the All-Star Game, James will shift his focus back to the regular season. He's putting up 24.3 points, 9.0 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game this year, leading Los Angeles to a 32-20 record, which is good for fifth place in the West.

James and the Lakers are still adjusting to a new-look roster highlighted by Luka Dončić, who the Dallas Mavericks traded to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis. The trade for Dončić could be enough to propel the Lakers to an NBA Finals run, which could be a driving factor for why James opted to rest on Sunday.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...

Luka Dončić joins LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West as only Lakers to post 30 points and 15 assists in a game

LeBron James joined a club of one on Tuesday , while Luka Dončić joined a club of four. With 30 points and a Lakers career-high 15 assists, Luka Dončić became only the fourth player in Lakers history to post those totals in a single game in a 136-115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The other three: James, Magic Johnson and Jerry West. We'll call that a solid group. That performance included a stretch of three straight 3-pointers to set the tone in the first quarter. It was once again the LeBron and Dončić (LeBrončić?) show, as Dončić's co-star posted 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. Center Jaxson Hayes also had one of the best games of his Lakers career, scoring 19 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting plus 10 rebounds. Dončić was two points away from tying his Lakers career high in points as well, and likely would have gotten it had L.A. not taken its foot off the gas in the fourth quarter. After a back-and-forth first half in which the P...