LeBron James Ruled Out, Ending His 21-Year All-NBA Streak
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The Los Angeles Lakers will take the floor in San Antonio on Tuesday night without several key pieces, headlined by LeBron James, the club confirmed.
James is sidelined with left foot arthritis, marking his 18th absence of the season. Because the NBA now requires players to appear in at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for individual honors, the 39-year-old is no longer eligible for any postseason awards, including All-NBA consideration. The decision halts his record run of 21 consecutive All-NBA selections.
Los Angeles will also be missing Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left calf injury management) and Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness). Starting center Deandre Ayton is listed as questionable with right knee soreness.
Despite the injuries, James’ production when available remained strong. He is averaging 21.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 50.2 percent from the field.
The Lakers’ latest setback follows a 119-110 home defeat to Oklahoma City on Monday, a game the Thunder played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Afterward, James offered a blunt assessment: “That’s a championship team right there, we’re not. We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can,” he told reporters.
Los Angeles enters Tuesday’s contest looking to regain momentum as the regular season winds down, but it will have to do so minus its leading scorer and several other regulars.
Source: Hoops Wire
