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LeBron James, who was slated to play in his 21st consecutive NBA All-Star Game, made the d...
LeBron James, who was slated to play in his 21st consecutive NBA All-Star Game, made the difficult decision to withdraw from the game on Sunday due to foot and ankle soreness that he felt would hinder his ability to compete at his highest level.
(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP)
James, 40, played in the Lakers’ loss Wednesday in Utah. James said he woke up Sunday morning hoping his foot felt good enough to allow him to play, but ultimately, he prioritized the remainder of the regular season and the Lakers’ pending playoff push.
“I felt like it's very important for me to take care of myself and understand what's coming on,” James said. “I don’t want to say it's ‘maintenance,’ but it is maintenance. But at the same time, it's I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I've been dealing with for years, and so I hope to be available on Wednesday.”
LeBron James on the intertwined feelings between embracing the moment while recognizing that the end is coming. pic.twitter.com/0yUpIGVUA9
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 16, 2025
Because of the late scratch, James was not replaced on the All-Star roster.
James was scheduled to play with a group of veteran All-Stars that included Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden against the Rising Stars tournament champion team in a new mini-tournament format the league introduced to try to improve competitiveness.
James’ first-round game was set to be against his Lakers’ teammate Dalton Knecht.
“You won't see anything from me tonight, unfortunately. I will not be in uniform tonight," James said. "Still dealing with ankle and foot discomfort. I will not be playing tonight, unfortunately. I hate that, but I'm looking forward to seeing the format. This is the first year for it. I know we got a lot of great, they call us the OGs. That's hilarious. We got a few guys with gray hairs so that makes sense. But that should be fun.”
James said he planned on returning to Los Angeles postgame to resume treatment on his foot and ankle. The Lakers have an abbreviated All-Star break, playing on Wednesday against Charlotte in a game rescheduled because of the January wildfires.
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“There will be no vacation for me,” James said. “I head back to L.A. tonight and back to rehab tomorrow and getting ready for practice on Tuesday. And hopefully I can play against Charlotte on Wednesday and hopefully play against Portland on Thursday. So it's a big stretch for us.”
In a lengthy media session, James didn’t directly address his future in the NBA, though he said the Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic has given him optimism in the short term.
" Just the excitement of being able to add the caliber of a player like that, a generational talent like that to our franchise, lt's something that's giving me energy and and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do,” James said. “I think it's been, we only have, what, two games? Two games so far. And I believe, I think he's been on fitness restrictions since he came back from the calf [injury]. He hasn't played since Christmas, I believe.
“As we continue to get into form, as he continues to get in form, I think we can be really good going down the stretch.”
The Lakers are currently in playoff position with a record of 32-20 that has them in fifth place in the Western Conference.
LeBron James on hosting SNL ahead of tonight’s SNL50 pic.twitter.com/C3039SIEno
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) February 16, 2025
James declined to comment on the overall state of the game, saying he thought the impact of international stars has been a benefit and that players have to continue to engage with audiences without getting into specifics.
“I'm definitely always trying to have thoughts and questions and hopefully solutions,” James said. “That's the most important of how we continue to build our game.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
