Already declining in popularity among basketball fans, the NBA All-Star Game took another blow on Sunday when it was revealed that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was not going to be able to partake in the mini-tournament due to issues in his left foot and ankle.
James was part of Shaquille O’Neal’s Team OG, which, despite missing the services of the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, defeated Candace Parker’s Rising Stars squad, 42-35, before bringing down Charles Barkley’s Global Stars in the finals, 41-25.
With the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend over and done, it’s back to the reality of playing much more meaningful basketball for the Lakers and the rest of the league. However, James’ status remains a question, as the Lakers now prepare for their looming matchup against the Charlotte Hornets this coming Wednesday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
James and the Lakers entered the All-Star break with a 32-20 record, good for the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings. Having a healthy body is seemingly a priority for James than putting himself at risk of potential injury aggravation in the NBA All-Star Game.
“With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild West, I felt like it was very important for me to kind of take care of myself and understand what’s coming on [down the stretch],” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Lakers’ immediate schedule after the 2025 NBA All-Star break
Given the quality of their upcoming opponent (the Hornets only have 13 wins to date against 39 losses), it’s not a stretch to imagine James sitting out that game as well. Once they’re done with Charlotte, the Lakers will have back-to-back road games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday and Saturday, respectively before their highly anticipated showdown versus Luka Doncic’s former team, Dallas Mavericks, at home on Feb. 25.
While it can sometimes be hard to believe that James is already 40 years old because of his continued effectiveness on the court, there’s an increased need for him to maintain his body in form, especially with the big role he plays for the Lakers, who are eyeing a playoff spot.
So far in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, James, who is in his 22nd season in the NBA, is averaging 24.3 points, 9.0 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and posting a 57.8 effective field goal percentage.
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