LeBron James has announced that he will not be participating in Sunday’s All-Star Game due to “ankle and foot discomfort,” as revealed during his media availability on Sunday. This decision comes after James missed a recent game against the Indiana Pacers due to ankle soreness, although he has played in every other game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025 so far. Despite being listed as probable for his last game before the break against the Utah Jazz, he still played despite the injury concerns.
This will mark the first time since 2004 that James will not be part of the All-Star Game lineup. In recent years, James has scaled back his involvement in All-Star Weekend as he has aged. He has developed a pattern of arriving late to the weekend, often missing practice and holding separate media sessions later on. On Sunday, he made the announcement of his absence from the game.
Furthermore, his playing time during recent All-Star appearances has significantly decreased. While he played 36 minutes in the 2022 game held in Cleveland, he has not logged more than 20 minutes in any other All-Star Game this decade.
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James’ absence will prevent a Team USA reunion between himself, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, who were all selected by Team Shaq for a roster mainly consisting of older stars in the new tournament-style All-Star Game. James joins Giannis Antetokounmpo and former Lakers teammate Anthony Davis as the third All-Star to sit out of Sunday’s events.
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