LeBron James’ remarkable 21-year streak as an NBA All-Star starter came to an end on Tuesday, as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was left out of the 10 starters for next month’s midseason showcase.
The 41-year-old icon, who had started in every All-Star Game since 2005, was the biggest omission from this year’s roster, which will take place at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome on February 15.
The 10 starters – five from the Western Conference and five from the Eastern Conference – will be joined by 14 additional players selected by the All-Star Game coaches.
The Western Conference starters include James’ Lakers teammate Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), and French prodigy Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs). The starters were chosen via votes from fans, players, and media.
Leading the Eastern Conference voting was Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, joined by Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), and Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics).
While James is expected to be included among the pool of All-Star reserves, his absence from the starting 10 in his 23rd NBA season marks the end of an era.
James missed the first 14 games of the season due to sciatica. Since returning, he has averaged 22.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.
This year’s All-Star Game will feature a revamped format aimed at generating excitement, including a three-team round-robin tournament: two teams of U.S. players and a World team of international stars. Each game will last 12 minutes, with a minimum of eight players per team.
The tournament format will see two teams face off in the first game, the third team then playing the winner, followed by a matchup with the loser of the opener. The championship game will feature the top two teams based on records or point differential.
