After a record 21 consecutive All-Star Game starts, LeBron James hasn’t been selected for this year’s game. This doesn’t close the door on a 22nd consecutive All-Star appearance for the four-time league MVP. The coaches get to vote in the All-Star reserves, which has always been tradition. But not being voted in is indicative of one thing for sure, which is that the fans didn’t deem him deserving of the starter’s honor.
Your vote matters
There was a time when the fan vote was all that mattered when voting in All-Star starters. Due to a few instances where inactive players were getting voted into the game, the voting rules changed. These days, the fan vote still counts the most, but there are still votes from the players of the NBA, as well as the media that get tallied.
From where I sit, there are two reasons why James wasn’t voted in. There’s one reason I find to be less impactful than the other, which is that James missed a decent chunk of the beginning of the season. With that, he’s had to work himself into cardiovascular shape. So, although he still averages over 20 points per game, it hasn’t been seen over a long enough stretch. But ultimately, I think with his resume, fans would be more forgiving of those details. Hell, he’s playing in his 23rd season, and fans certainly want to see him a part of All-Star Weekend.
But that brings us to reason number two, which to me, is the more pointed reason. Just last season, in 2025, James was voted in as a starter for a record 21st time. It wasn’t until a couple of hours before the game that he announced that he wouldn’t be playing. This was met with a huge chagrin from fans and analysts alike. For the fans who paid top dollar believing that they’d see the “King” take the floor, those feelings are warranted.
Father Time remains undefeated
James cited his left foot injury at the time. However, it was widely thought that James could have at least given more notice of his status. So, in my estimation, the fans remembered this. As much as they probably would have been forgiving toward his later start to this season, I don’t think they were forgiving toward how he navigated All-Star Weekend last year. They can’t count on him starting. People not wanting to vote because they feel like their vote won’t matter? What a concept.
For the record, I don’t believe that this will become a trend. If James returns for a 24th season and gets off to a hot start, he’ll be right back to his All-Star starter ways. What will definitely land him as a starter is whenever he announces that it’ll be his final All-Star Game. There will be voters who haven’t voted in years, and even new ones who want to see James in the spotlight one last time. But for this season, I think the voters felt shafted. So, they let their voices collectively be heard. As for the future? I hope we get to see James ride out one more time as a starter, just not this season.