INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — For two decades, LeBron James was the main focus of every NBA All-Star Weekend.
In 2005, at the age of 20, he was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time, and a year later he became the youngest All-Star MVP. Never once asking to leave due to injury or exhaustion, while his underachieving teammates enjoyed a break from the grind of the regular season, James dutifully showed up for every midseason show until 2025, when his 40-year-old body simply wouldn’t allow him to play.
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It turns out that weekend in San Francisco wasn’t the end of an era after all.
James, 41, will return to the Intuit Dome just south of downtown Los Angeles this weekend for the All-Star Game, spending another Sunday in the spotlight in February while extending his record for most All-Star selections (22) and most All-Star selections (21) in NBA history.
As the scoring leader in NBA history and All-Star Game history, James obviously does not consider participating in the All-Star Game to be a onerous obligation, even if he has to fly across the country to participate in the game. However, the Los Angeles Lakers star is also happy that he will be spending this All-Star weekend in his own home, where he can focus his free time to make the most of the time he has left, both this season and in his unparalleled career.
“Trying to figure out how to rest,” James said Thursday night when asked about his weekend plans. “Obviously, Sunday is Sunday. I’m very grateful for that, to be a part of All-Star Weekend and be a part of a big game. Then (I’ll) try to take a break.”
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James’ performance at halftime proved why his latest All-Star selection is not a tribute to a basketball legend – even though the legend has missed 18 games this season with injuries that cost him his 22nd consecutive All-NBA selection.
James became the oldest player to record a triple-double in the Lakers’ 124-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. He finished with 28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his 123rd career triple-double and one of his best performances of the season for the Lakers (33-21).
“He’s fighting Father Time better than anybody,” Lakers teammate Austin Reeves said. “Just the pace of his game, his athleticism, and obviously his IQ. Yeah, he’s still one of the best players in the NBA. (He’s) an All-Star for a reason.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick put it more succinctly: “Basically, he had 23 years in his prime.”
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As James reiterated after his triple-double, he remains confident that he can keep playing at anything close to this level indefinitely.
As the only NBA player to play his 23rd season, he defies time and age to an unprecedented level, and he’s performing at a level no player in their 40s has ever achieved. James has repeatedly said he doesn’t know how much longer he can play, but he hasn’t even said he wants to leave before his skills are eroded because he doesn’t think they will.
“Can I? Yes, I can. But I don’t know,” James said when asked if he can continue to play at a high level for years to come.
“It has nothing to do with my game,” he added. “My game isn’t going anywhere. It’s just my body. And all those other things. There’s a lot of factors that determine how long I’m going to play the game. If I decide to keep playing the game, I don’t think my game is going to be affected, no matter how long. I just think it has to be here. (pointing to his head). How long can I love this process? Because this has always been my thing. If I can’t continue to love this process, if this is gone once my body is gone, it’s not like my game is deteriorating.”
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In his first All-Star game, James joined starters Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson in the Eastern Conference against Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.
When he plays in the Los Angeles Clippers’ futuristic arena for the 21st All-Star Game, he’ll be facing a host of young stars who have never really known the NBA without James.
But the generation gap seems meaningless lately, at least when James is healthy. After winning four championships and accomplishing just about everything possible in basketball, James remains at an All-Star level because he derives satisfaction from the process and joy from the results.
“That’s always going to be me,” James said. “I’m a stupid 41-year-old kid. I mean, I think people should know that by now, right? That’s me. I’m just stupid. I can play basketball. Like, they pay me to play basketball. Why wouldn’t I be happy? I get to be with my son and my teammates and all these incredible fans. They’ve watched me my whole career and given me all the support and love and, like, I’m enjoying my career.” … Is that a job? I love what I do. “
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