After LeBron James skipped the 2025 NBA All-Star Game due to lingering discomfort in his left foot and ankle, the question begging for an answer is whether he will play in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ back-to-back games to start the second half of the season?
“I hope to be available on Wednesday,” James told reporters before the All-Star Game. “We have to have a makeup game. So, I am headed back to LA [Sunday night]. There will be no vacation for me.”
The 40-year-old James, whose 20-year run in the All-Star Game ended Sunday, plans to get back to rehab Monday and get ready for the Lakers’ Tuesday practice.
The Lakers will face the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Feb. 19, the rescheduled Jan. 9 game because of the Los Angeles wildfires. The rest of the league will resume their season on Thursday, with the Lakers scheduled to visit the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 22-year veteran hopes to play in both games.
“It’s a big stretch for us,” James said.
Strength of Lakers’ Remaining Schedule
The 32-20 Lakers, currently fifth in the West, are just three games back of the second seed Memphis Grizzlies (36-18). But they are tied with their crosstown rivals Clippers for the fifth-strongest remaining schedule, per Tankathon.
The Lakers’ remaining schedule includes two games against the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder, three against the No. 3 Denver Nuggets, two against the No. 4 Houston Rockets and one each against the East’s No. 3 New York Knicks, No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies and the defending champion Boston Celtics, the No. 2 in the East.
“With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild west, I feel like it’s important for me to take care of myself and understand what’s coming on,” James said of his decision to skip what would have been his 21st NBA All-Star Game.
“I don’t want to say it’s maintenance — well, it is maintenance, but at the same time, it’s like, I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I’ve been dealing with for years,” he added.
LeBron Under Fire for Late All-Star Withdrawal
James’ decision to skip the All-Star Game was met with harsh criticisms led by his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins.
He called James “selfish” for taking away a spot from another aspiring All-Star.
“Do I have a problem with LeBron James missing the All-Star game at the age of 40 because of injury? Absolutely not,” Perkins said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Feb. 17. “But it’s how he did it. And he knew that he wasn’t going to play when he probably was selected to play in the All-Star game. How about giving people a heads up? Not showing up to the actual All-Star weekend an hour before the game starts.”
“And now, all of a sudden, you’re taking away from another guy that probably earned to be in the All-Star game…Put your damn uniform on. That’s another thing; it came off as him being selfish. It looked selfish on his part…He should have handled it in a better way.”
.@KendrickPerkins reacts to LeBron missing the All-Star Game.
“Do I have a problem with LeBron James missing the All-Star game at the age of 40 because of injury? Absolutely not. But it’s how he did it. And he knew that he wasn’t going to play when he probably was selected to… pic.twitter.com/HxzqaY6Cu7
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 17, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Perkins earlier said on X that James’ spot should have been given to Clippers’ Norman Powell, who is having a career season.
“Could have said this earlier. Norman Powell could have made his first All-Star appearance. SMH (shake my head),” Perkins wrote on X right after James announced his decision to skip the All-Star Game.
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