LeBron James will be ineligible for postseason awards after the team announced Tuesday he would miss his 18th game this season, snapping an unbelievable streak of 21-straight appearances on All-NBA teams.
The streak began with an All-NBA Second Team nod in 2005 alongside Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire and Ray Allen, and ran through an All-NBA Second Team appearance last season with Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, Evan Mobley and Jalen Brunson.
Mobley and Edwards had each just turned 4 years old the first time James earned All-NBA honors.
Since the 2023-24 season, players, with few exceptions, must play at least 65 games for year-end awards. There are exceptions for season-ending injuries late in the season and “extraordinary circumstances,” but it’s unlikely James will qualify for either of those.
James, who turned 41 in December, is averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists in his record 23rd NBA season. He had played 17-straight games before being ruled him out Tuesday with left-foot arthritis after logging nearly 36 minutes in Monday’s 119-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James missed the first 14 games of this season with a sciatic nerve irritation, an injury he suffered over the summer that kept him from participating in the preseason. He also missed opening night for the first time in his career and has sat out additional games on back-to-backs. Still, he was named an All-Star for a 22nd consecutive year.
“I’m 41 years old, of course, it’s always, every back-to-back, for the rest of the season, is TBD. I am 41,” James said after the front end of one of those back to backs. “I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank it right now. What are we talking about? What are we talking about?”
After Monday’s loss to the Thunder, he praised the defending champs while recognizing the separation between the teams.
“That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” he said. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won the championship.”
James then apologized for his tone.
“Sorry if I sound irritated, but I’m 41,” James said. “My [patience for] irritation is being very, very low as the days go on.”
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