The NBA All-Star weekend is finally here, and while the league is betting big on the new “USA vs. World” format to inject some much-needed life into the event, the injury bug has already taken a massive bite out of the roster.
Fans hoping to see a full strength showdown are out of luck; last year’s ASG MVP Stephen Curry is sidelined for Team USA, while the World Team will be without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo.
However, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on the one man who seems to defy the laws of aging. LeBron James is set to make his record-breaking 22nd All-Star appearance this Sunday. It’s a milestone that borders on the impossible, to put it in perspective, he’s now left undisputed legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19 selections) and Kobe Bryant (18) in the rearview mirror by a significant margin.
LeBron is Skipping Media Day for a Solo Spotlight
Even at 41, LeBron knows exactly how to control the narrative. While the rest of the league’s stars will be shuffling through the standard media day gauntlet, the NBA announced that James will once again be doing things his way.
For the fourth consecutive year, he’s opting out of the group session to hold his own standalone press conference on Sunday morning. Some call it “Main Character Energy,” others call it veteran privilege, but either way, when LeBron talks, the basketball world stops to listen.
Despite being selected as a reserve this year-a rare sight for the King, his production hasn’t exactly fallen off a cliff. Through 36 games this season, he’s putting up 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
He might not be the primary engine of the Lakers’ offense every single night anymore, but these are numbers most players in their prime would kill for. Holding a solo presser suggests he has something specific to get off his chest before the ball goes up in Los Angeles.
Retirement Rumors and the Chase for Kobe’s Record
There’s a growing sense that we are watching the final chapters of a historic book. The hints are everywhere: the new, meticulous pre-game routine he’s been debuting, the dedicated camera crew that has been shadowing his every move for a rumored “Last Dance” style documentary, and the simple reality of Father Time.
Even for a physical anomaly like LeBron, the reflexes and elite closing speed are naturally starting to taper off, it happens to everyone, even the GOATs. With the 65-game rule making him ineligible for any end-of-season honors this year, the All-Star MVP trophy is effectively the only hardware left for him to grab in 2026.
If he manages to pull it off, it would be his fourth, tying him with Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. For a guy who has nothing left to prove, matching Kobe’s record in the city where they both became icons would be the ultimate “mic drop” moment before whatever comes next.
