Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had been named an NBA All-Star starter in a record 21 consecutive seasons, but that streak came to an end on Monday.
For the first time since his rookie season (2003-04), LeBron will not start in the All-Star Game, an outcome that is determined substantially (50 percent) by fan voting. The Western Conference All-Stars starters will be Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama.
Now the question for James becomes, will he make the All-Star team at all?
LeBron James in danger of not making the All-Star Game for the first time since 2004
LeBron's 21-consecutive All-Star selections is a record that will be extremely difficult for anyone to break in the future. It requires elite durability and sustained excellence that is singularly associated with James in NBA history (so far).
Now, to extend his All-Star selection streak to 22, LeBron will need to be chosen by the league's coaches, who are tasked with selecting the game's reserves by Feb. 1.
Interestingly, LeBron was not among the Western Conference "reserve locks" listed by ESPN's Tim Bontemps in a piece published on Jan. 14. Bontemps had Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren, and Curry listed as his reserve locks. His projected starting five aligned with Monday's reveal except for his inclusion of Anthony Edwards over Curry (which is deserved for Ant).
LeBron did feature on Bontemps' "Bubble watch" in the West, alongside Devin Booker, Kawhi Leonard, Deni Avdija, and Austin Reaves. Booker, Leonard, and Avdija each have superior stats to LeBron this season and have appeared in more games. Reaves' statistical impact is similar, but he's appeared in just 23 games to LeBron's 24.
The good news for LeBron is that there is more wiggle room for All-Star entry this year than in years past,
That comes in large part thanks to the new USA vs. World round-robin format. With the need to field two U.S. rosters and one international roster for the All-Star festivities, NBA commissioner Adam Silver could be tasked with adding additional players to the game if there are not at least 16 U.S. players and eight international players after the reserve selections.
This means that if the U.S. number were below 16 with James still not selected by Feb. 1, Silver would have the power to add LeBron (and you have to believe he would for marketing purposes). Ultimately, it would be very surprising to see LeBron absent from the All-Star Game, but you never know.