On Thursday, LeBron James, in his 21st season, broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record by being selected to his 20th NBA All-Star Game. LeBron thanked the record selection after he scored 25 points and dished out 12 assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ lopsided victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
“I’ve surpassed my professional expectations,” declared the one-time first overall choice. Thus, it’s merely humble. I’ve achieved more than I could have ever imagined when it comes to playing in the NBA.
The 39-year-old’s longevity was praised by Lakers head coach Darvin Ham prior to the team’s game against the Bulls.
“Man, I’m proud of him. He is a victim of his own accomplishments and labor. It’s absurd; I was thinking to myself, “Damn, he’ll never get to spend an All-Star weekend by himself, just relaxing.” And for twenty-one years to do it. It resembles “holy guy.” But he works on that. He has worked hard at it. He has continued to be that steady and reliable. I’m glad for him as well. Bravo, Bron, on yet another outstanding accomplishment. As you can tell by the polls, the league and the entire world are undoubtedly thrilled that he will be a part of it.
In 41 games in 2023–24, LeBron is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on 52% shooting.
Simply put, I’m incredibly gifted. quite fortunate. Very modest. For the twentieth time in a row, I would like to express my gratitude to the fans for electing me to be an All-Star starter. And I find a lot of meaning in it. I simply attempt to show up here, work hard, and then wait for the hard work to pay off in each individual game. I hope I can keep making my supporters proud. (LeBron continued, saying that he was “fortunate” to have missed the rookie All-Star game because it forced him to train harder.)
The 39-year-old will lead his team once again as captain because he has the highest vote total in the Western Conference. James will start alongside forward Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and guard (?) Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
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Warriors: Stephen Curry’s eye-opening first response to being passed over as an All-Star starter.
In the Bay Area, an era is ending, but not because the Golden State Warriors’ nearly ten-year dominance has finally come to an end. Until then, a lot of tough personnel decisions need to be made this summer, and there’s still half of the season left to play before that unpleasant scenario happens. However, Stephen Curry’s “snub” as an All-Star starter still represents the Warriors’ and his new NBA reality in 2024.
In the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on Friday, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were unveiled as the starting guards for the Western Conference. This put an end to Curry’s incredible streak of nine consecutive All-Star selections.
In the fan poll, Golden State’s franchise player garnered slightly less than 100,000 more votes than his counterpart from Oklahoma City Thunder. Curry placed fourth in the media vote, trailing only Anthony Edwards, and third in the player vote. However, his weighted final result of 2.75 was slightly below Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2.0.
Stephen Curry’s insightful reply to the “snub” of All-Star starting
Curry replied to missing out on being an All-Star starter for the first time since 2013—the last time he wasn’t chosen for the league’s midseason showcase—after his team’s devastating loss to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
He remarked, “You got two guys, Luka and Shai, that are playing tremendous this year.” “I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and it’s a talking point that, despite nine healthy years, I’m not [an All-Star starter].The two of them are playing really well. They are deserving of it. In Indiana, hopefully, in whatever capacity. However, it is often difficult to continue at this point. You never take for granted how difficult it is to receive such recognition annually.
Curry doesn’t need to be concerned about missing the trip to Indianapolis. He is a virtual lock to be selected as an All-Star reserve by Western Conference coaches, most likely as one of two guards. Curry will undoubtedly get one of the two wild card berths that are available if not.
Gilgeous and Doncic –It’s hardly a huge issue that Alexander defeated Curry for the starting backcourt spots for the West, but it’s still telling. Curry, 35, is currently experiencing a decline in his MVP-caliber play following yet another strong start to the regular season. The Warriors are currently limited to fighting for a position in the play-in tournament before dreaming larger. They are neither title favorites nor even elite competitors.
2015 and even 2022 are no longer relevant. Curry accepted that, but he played down the importance of his “snub.” Watch how the Warriors’ front office responds to it both in the lead-up to the upcoming trade deadline on February 8th and in the potentially radically transformative summer.
