Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will not appear on any of this season’s All-NBA teams after being held out of Friday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena, his 18th absence of the year. Under the NBA’s new availability policy, players must log at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for major awards.
The missed contest formally ends James’s record-setting streak of 21 consecutive years on an All-NBA roster. The 41-year-old opened the 2025-26 campaign on the injured list, sitting out the first 14 games with a sciatic nerve issue. Team medical staff have also kept him from the second game of all back-to-back sets to manage workload.
James returned to action on Nov. 18 and strung together 17 straight appearances before the Spurs matchup, which followed a hard-fought loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder the previous night. Despite the break in play, he remains one of the league’s most productive scorers and playmakers in his 23rd season.
While the 65-game requirement cost him All-NBA eligibility, James extended a separate milestone earlier this month by earning his 22nd consecutive All-Star nod. Under the revamped All-Star format, he will suit up for the USA Stripes squad, while Lakers teammate Luka Dončić headlines the World team.
Los Angeles enters the All-Star break outside the Western Conference’s top tier. After Monday’s defeat to Oklahoma City, James described the Thunder as a “championship team” and acknowledged that the Lakers “are not one right now.”
Source: LakersNation.com
