Lakers forward LeBron James speaks during a news conference before the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, when he announced a sore foot and ankle will prevent him from playing. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP)
LeBron James, set to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the 21st consecutive season, removed himself before the game Sunday, saying foot and ankle soreness wouldn’t allow him to compete.
James, 40, played in the Lakers’ loss Wednesday in Utah. James said he woke up Sunday morning hoping his foot felt good enough to allow him to play, but ultimately, he prioritized the remainder of the regular season and the Lakers’ pending playoff push.
“I felt like it’s very important for me to take care of myself and understand what’s coming on,” James said. “I don’t want to say it’s ‘maintenance,’ but it is maintenance. But at the same time, it’s I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I’ve been dealing with for years, and so I hope to be available on Wednesday.”
Because of the late scratch, James was not replaced on the All-Star roster.
James was scheduled to play with a group of veteran All-Stars that included Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden against the Rising Stars tournament champion team in a new mini-tournament format the league introduced to try to improve competitiveness.
James’ first-round game was set to be against his Lakers’ teammate Dalton Knecht.
“You won’t see anything from me tonight, unfortunately. I will not be in uniform tonight,” James said. “Still dealing with ankle and foot discomfort. I will not be playing tonight, unfortunately. I hate that, but I’m looking forward to seeing the format. This is the first year for it. I know we got a lot of great, they call us the OGs. That’s hilarious. We got a few guys with gray hairs so that makes sense. But that should be fun.”
James said he planned on returning to Los Angeles postgame to resume treatment on his foot and ankle. The Lakers have an abbreviated All-Star break, playing on Wednesday against Charlotte in a game rescheduled because of the January wildfires.
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