![\"LeBron](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2256973648-e1769621872947.jpg\")
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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks out during team introductions prior to the game against the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena.<\/p>\n
LeBron James<\/a> is once again keeping the NBA world guessing.<\/p>\n The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> superstar did not confirm whether he will play in Sunday\u2019s NBA All-Star Game, opting instead to delay any announcement until the final hours of the weekend \u2014 a familiar pattern that has become part of the All-Star intrigue surrounding the league\u2019s most enduring figure.<\/p>\n Lakers Star Skips All-Star Media Day, Sets Sunday Availability<\/p>\n On Saturday, the NBA<\/a> announced that James would skip the traditional All-Star Media Day and instead hold a separate press conference on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cLeBron James will not be present for today\u2019s NBA All-Star Media Day and will be made available on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. PT in the press conference room,\u201d NBA media relations said in a statement.<\/p>\n The move immediately reignited speculation about James\u2019 status for the game, particularly given his recent comments emphasizing rest over spectacle.<\/p>\n LeBron James All-Star Game Status Comes into Focus<\/p>\n James\u2019 hesitation comes on the heels of another milestone performance. In Thursday\u2019s 124\u2013104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, the 41-year-old recorded 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds \u2014 becoming the oldest player in NBA history to log a triple-double.<\/p>\n That performance pushed James past Karl Malone, who previously held the record since 2003.<\/p>\n After the game, James made clear that managing his workload remains a priority.<\/p>\n \u201cTrying to figure out how to get some rest,\u201d James told reporters<\/a>. \u201cObviously, Sunday will be Sunday, and I\u2019m super grateful for that \u2014 to be a part of All-Star weekend again and be part of the big game. And then try to find some rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Unmatched Longevity Rewrites NBA Record Book<\/p>\n This weekend alone adds another unprecedented line to James\u2019 r\u00e9sum\u00e9. He is now the first player in NBA history to earn 22 consecutive All-Star selections, a streak that spans three decades and separates him from every longevity benchmark the league has known.<\/p>\n Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had previously earned multiple All-Star selections after turning 40. James has now surpassed that mark with three nods beyond age 40, further cementing his place in uncharted territory.<\/p>\n James was named a Western Conference reserve this season, ending his record run of 21 straight All-Star starts. While the designation marked a shift, it did little to diminish the significance of yet another appearance.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all. I\u2019m always grateful,\u201d James said<\/a> in January when asked about not starting. \u201cIf I\u2019m there, I\u2019ll be there in attendance. If I\u2019m not, I know exactly what I\u2019ll be doing. I\u2019m good either way.\u201d<\/p>\n Last Year\u2019s Late Scratch Still Lingers<\/p>\n James\u2019 All-Star status has been scrutinized before. He sat out last year\u2019s game due to a foot injury, announcing his decision late and drawing criticism across the league.<\/p>\n Former Cavaliers<\/a> teammate and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins was among those who questioned the timing.<\/p>\n \u201cCould have said this earlier,\u201d\u00a0Perkins wrote<\/a>\u00a0on X. \u201cNorman Powell<\/a>\u00a0could have made his first All-Star appearance.\u201d<\/p>\n Powell ultimately made his All-Star debut this season after being traded by the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> to the Miami Heat<\/a>.<\/p>\n Similar sentiments were echoed last year by Draymond Green<\/a>, Vince Carter, and Jalen Rose, all of whom argued that a late withdrawal deprived another player of a deserved opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cI think LeBron could have helped somebody else out and said this earlier,\u201d\u00a0Green said<\/a>\u00a0at the time.<\/p>\n Could LeBron Chase One More All-Star First?<\/p>\n James missed the first 14 games of the season due to an early injury, but his recent play suggests he remains far from finished. If he does suit up Sunday in Los Angeles, he could add yet another line to his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 by becoming the oldest All-Star MVP in league history.<\/p>\n The last time James played an All-Star Game in Los Angeles \u2014 in 2018 \u2014 he walked away with MVP honors.<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be at the All-Star Game,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin said<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0SportsCenter. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t played as much in recent years. Last year, he didn\u2019t play at all, and the two years before that, he played about 15 minutes. I wouldn\u2019t expect a full allotment of minutes, but getting out there in L.A., you never know.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether James plays or not, the suspense alone underscores his singular presence \u2014 even in year 22, the NBA\u2019s biggest weekend still waits on LeBron\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks out during team introductions prior to the game…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480654,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-480653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480653"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480653\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}