LeBron James will sit out Sunday’s All-Star Game due to “ankle and foot discomfort,” the Los Angeles Lakers star said during his media availability Sunday. James missed a recent game against the Indiana Pacers due to ankle soreness, but has otherwise played in every Laker game thus far during the calendar year of 2025. He was listed as probable on the injury report for his final game before the break, though, a loss to the Utah Jazz that he played in.
This will be the first All-Star Game that James has not participated in since 2004. Despite participating in recent years, James has slowly wound down his involvement in All-Star Weekend as he has gotten older.
Over the past few years, he has made a habit of arriving to All-Star Weekend late, often on Saturday, which has caused him to miss practice and hold separate media availabilities later. He did so on Sunday, which is when he announced that he would be skipping the game.
His playing time has also decreased significantly in recent All-Star appearances. He played 36 minutes back in 2022, but that game was held in Cleveland and therefore held a bit more symbolic value. He has not played 20 minutes in any other All-Star Game this decade.
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James’ absence will prevent a Team USA reunion between himself, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, who were all drafted by Team Shaq on a roster comprised largely of older stars for the new tournament-style ASG. James, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and former Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, is the third All-Star to be ruled out for Sunday’s festivities.
