LeBron James’ Surprising Lakers Absence Sparks Doubts Over Historic 22nd All-NBA Bid

LeBron James is sidelined once again, this time sitting out the Los Angeles Lakers’ matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to arthritis in his left foot — a tough pill to swallow for a player who’s been a fixture on the All-NBA teams for 21 consecutive seasons. Missing this game is more than just a moment off the court; it knocks him out of the running for making it 22 straight years, thanks to the NBA’s 65-game minimum rule for award eligibility. The Lakers made the call just hours before tipoff, navigating the brutal grind of back-to-back games against top Western Conference competition while also managing the absences of other key stars like Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart. Despite the setbacks and careful pacing in what’s his 23rd NBA season—after dealing with sciatica that cost him training camp and the first 14 games—LeBron’s still putting up solid numbers, keeping the Lakers firmly in the playoff hunt at 32-20. Both he and Doncic, the season’s leading vote-getter, earned All-Star nods recently in Inglewood, signaling that the duo’s firepower is far from extinguished. It’s a delicate balance of health and hustle — one that’ll define the stretch run for the purple and gold. LEARN MORE

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James will sit out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night due to left foot arthritis, a decision that will prevent him from qualifying for consideration for his 22nd straight appearance on an All-NBA team.

James has been on one of the three All-NBA postseason teams in each of his last 21 seasons, but this game will be the 18th he has missed this season. Players must play in at least 65 games to be considered for end-of-season awards under the NBA’s current rules.

The Lakers announced the decision about five hours before they hosted the Spurs in the second night of a brutal back-to-back set against the Western Conference’s top two teams. Los Angeles lost to Oklahoma City on Monday.

Los Angeles is also holding out NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) for the third straight game, along with Austin Reaves (left calf injury management) and Marcus Smart (right ankle).

James is playing in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season, but he missed training camp and the Lakers’ first 14 games due to sciatica. He has played in back-to-back games at times since getting healthy, but the Lakers have also monitored his health closely in hopes of keeping him relatively fresh for the stretch run.

James is playing well when healthy this season, averaging 21.7 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds over 34 games. The Lakers (32-20) are in the thick of the West playoff race despite having James, Doncic and Reaves all in the same lineup for just 10 games so far this season.

James was selected for the All-Star Game this weekend in Inglewood, California. So was Doncic, who was the leading vote-getter.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA